November 9, 2021HENDERSON PARK ACQUIRE 1.4 MILLION SQ FT PRIME LOGISTICS DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITY IN YORKSHIRE, U.K.
- 136-acre site will be the only UK inland distribution park offering tri-modal connectivity with road, water and rail connections -
London, 09 November 2021 – Henderson Park, the private equity real estate firm headquartered in London, announces that it has exchanged contracts for the acquisition of a 136-acre tri-modal logistics development site in Yorkshire, U.K., in an off-market transaction from Harworth Group plc for £54 million. This acquisition has been undertaken with Cole Waterhouse, a leading UK real estate developer who is managing the acquisition execution, development and leasing of the site.
The site is 20 kilometres from Leeds and has outline planning consent for 1.4 million sq ft of prime logistics space. Seven units are expected to be developed ranging in size from 40,000 to 735,000 sq ft, with single ownership of the site offering the rare opportunity to design and create a strategic estate that will appeal to a mix of tenants across a broad range of sectors.
The site has already been prepared for development and work is due to commence in April 2022, with the first units ready for occupation by spring 2023. Once operational, the asset will deliver significant new supply of much needed state-of-the-art, energy efficient warehouse space in a structurally undersupplied market with strong occupational fundamentals. Yorkshire and the North East currently has a logistics vacancy rate of sub 3% as a result of limited consented land availability and record take up by tenants.
Located on the site of a former colliery near Wakefield, the development is strategically located at the nexus of key transport infrastructure and will be the country’s only inland distribution park offering tri-modal connectivity to the U.K. and continental Europe via road, water or rail. The U.K.’s four major container ports are all within a four hour drive via the M62 and A1 (M) motorways, and the site offers direct access to the Strategic Freight Network with sidings that caters for trains up to 640 metres long. Immediate onsite access to the Aire & Calder canal waterway unlocks potential freight links to the Leeds and Humber ports.
Sustainability will be a key consideration at all stages of development, with the finished assets targeting BREEAM certification and other specifications desired by occupiers. The wider masterplan for the land surrounding the site also includes the Southmoor Energy Centre, offering a potential supply of low carbon energy to the estate in the future.
The completion of the transaction is conditional on the outcome of a reserved matters planning application, pursuant to an outline planning consent granted in 2019, which was submitted to Selby District Council in October 2021.
Christophe Kuhbier, Managing Director of Henderson Park, commented:
“This is a rare opportunity to develop a single-ownership logistics estate of scale, designed to the highest technical specifications and with the latest occupier requirements in mind. Amidst the broader fundamentals of the UK logistics sector, we like the dynamics of the Yorkshire submarket, and believe this strategically located site is optimally placed to deliver much needed capacity into the local market. The site is prepared for development, with a significant planning consent obtained, and we are excited to get to work with our partners to create a highly sustainable logistics estate.”
Damian Flood, CEO of Cole Waterhouse, commented:
“The acquisition of this superb logistics site demonstrates our continued commitment to developing in the industrial and logistics sector. This is our first project with Henderson Park and we are excited to be working with an experienced joint venture partner that shares our focus on sustainable development and creating value. We are actively looking for additional opportunities to bring forward in well located and connected logistics sites across the UK.”
The joint venture was advised on this transaction by Metis Real Estate and Addleshaw Goddard LLP
MEDIA CONTACTS
FTI Consulting, for Henderson Park
+44 (0)20 3727 1000
Richard Sunderland / Ellie Sweeney / James McEwan / Andrew Davis
E: [email protected]
Inform Communications, for Cole Waterhouse
+44 (0)750 1750 750
Kate Healey / Clare Coyne
E: [email protected]
About Henderson Park
Henderson Park is a pan-European private equity property manager based in London. The firm has invested approximately $11 billion in building a portfolio of flagship real estate assets across Europe, with a presence in major cities and capitals in France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Poland, Portugal, Spain and the UK. Henderson Park seeks high quality assets in prime locations where it can identify the potential for unlocking or creating value through asset management, or by taking on and working in complex situations. The company’s current portfolio is diversified across various sectors such as office, logistics, multifamily, student housing, hospitality and retail, including several real estate development projects. Henderson Park strives to work and build long-term strategic relationships with the best local partners.
Henderson Park is a signatory of the UN PRI.
Visit www.hendersonpark.com for more information.
About Cole Waterhouse
Cole Waterhouse is a UK developer with offices in Manchester and London. The company focusses on a small number of significantly-sized projects at any given time, ensuring projects receive the high levels of detail, attention and management they require and deserve. Cole Waterhouse has a proven ability to uncover under-recognised, off-market opportunities. Currently the firm is developing over 2 million sq. ft. of industrial space and over 2,000 residential units.
Visit www.colewaterhouse.co.uk for more information
