Vertical farming firm OneFarm has taken 70,000 sq ft at Newmarket Business Park to grow up to 1,000 tonnes of food a year.
UK-based OneFarm has taken a 25-year lease on the unit, which is owned by Mayfair Capital on behalf of the Property Income Trust for Charities.
When complete, herbs and salad crops will be grown in 9m-high towers, while the LED lighting needed to grow the crops will be powered in part by solar panels mounted on the roof. The farm will initially produce around 415 tonnes of food per year, rising to 1,000 tonnes within a short period.
OneFarm’s chief executive, Mira Merme, said: “Landlords need to realise and act accordingly to the emergency of providing UK grown food to local populations. Growing food in the UK is now a matter of urgency for food security and is crucial and critical. This is not a ‘nice to have’ it is a “need to have’.”
Merme said there should be incentives for landlords letting space to vertical farms. “Landlords should be rewarded by government for appropriate lettings in this sector. Tax Rebates corresponding to lettings to essential industries must be prioritised.”
Read more: Vertical farms are on the up
Mayfair Capital’s Scott Fawcett said the choice of tenant was “very much in keeping with the sustainable aims of the Fund”, adding “securing the letting so soon after completion of the EPC A rated refurbishment demonstrates the strength of our thematic investment approach”.
Cheffins negotiated the deal and Bidwells jointly advised Mayfair Capital on the letting of the unit.
Cheffins director Philip Woolner added: “Vertical farming has seen significant inward investment in recent months, and we expect to see more lettings for this burgeoning industry.”
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