Leading industrial property and business space provider, Goodman has secured full planning consent for the development of a major new facility at Hatfield Business Park.
The planning consent is for the development of a new 231,000 sq ft distribution centre, which will be managed and operated by Hoddesdon based PCL Transport on behalf of Arla Foods, the global dairy co-operative which produces well-known brands including Anchor and Lurpak. PCL is one of the fastest growing and successful chilled food distribution specialists in the UK.
Construction work is due to commence this summer, and the site is expected to be fully operational by mid-2013, with Goodman signing a 15-year lease with PCL Transport.
The development will complement PCL’s existing operations at Hoddesdon and provide a range of jobs including managerial staff, drivers, mechanics, and warehouse operatives.
The development is expected to create over 350 jobs, adding to the diverse employment mix already based at Hatfield Business Park.
James Raven, Development Director for Goodman, said: “We are very pleased to have received planning consent for this significant project, which represents a key milestone in the development of one of the region’s biggest regeneration projects. Hatfield Business Park has evolved into a sustainable community, directly creating more than 10,000 jobs for the local community, with the new development boosting this figure through the generation of a number of additional jobs.”
Constructed to a Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) “Very Good” standard, the distribution centre will include sustainable technologies such as solar hot water heating and rain water harvesting.
Hatfield Business Park is a well-established mixed-use development set within a 400-acre site. It is home to a diverse range of business occupiers, from corporate headquarters to logistics and cutting-edge research and development companies, plus over 1,500 new homes.
ARLA will join other big name occupiers at Hatfield Business Park including Everything Everywhere, Ocado, Booker, Eisai, the Environment Agency, Porsche Cars (GB) Ltd, Royal Mail, DHL, Computacenter, Veolia Environnement, The University of Hertfordshire and Henkel.
Hatfield Business Park is ideally located for the Arla distribution centre due to its extensive transport links. The park is situated just off the A1(M) and boasts excellent road, rail and air links with its proximity to the A1(M), M25, M1, M11, M40 and Central London. This has also helped to integrate the park with Hatfield, creating a thriving extension to the town.
