Plans for phase two of the Exeter Gateway distribution facility will make the city and surrounding area into the South West’s leading distribution hub south of Bristol if they get the go-ahead, says JLL.
The outline planning application to create 1.2m sq ft of logistics and distribution floor space was submitted to East Devon District Council on 10 March.
The site is next to site of Lidl UK’s under-construction regional distribution hub, which forms phase one of Exeter Gateway. Both sites are part of the Exeter and East Devon Growth Point economic development zone east of the M5, near Exeter airport.
Tim Western, lead director of JLL in Exeter, said: “Exeter and the nearby area look set to become the pre-eminent distribution and logistics hub south of Bristol if these plans for phase two of Exeter Gateway get the green light. It is the most significant planning application to be submitted in the local area since the Met Office in terms of the creation of employment land.
“This new development would create hundreds of jobs, provide a major vote of confidence and attract investment in the region. It is fantastic that the Church Commissioners of England have brought forward this land for development at a time when there is an acute shortage of employment land and buildings that can accommodate this sector in the area.”
He added: “There is more than 538,000 sq ft of unsatisfied demand from logistics and distribution companies in the market locally, so I expect there to be no shortage of interest in this new hub.
He said the development at phase two would complement nearby employment centres such as Exeter Science Park and Skypark, while infrastructure investments such as those to junction 29 of the M5, and the construction of the Clyst Honiton bypass, have opened up the area.
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