Prologis has brokered a freehold land sale and development management agreement with UK Mail for a 231,000 sq ft office and mail sorting facility at Prologis Park Ryton in the West Midlands.
The project will include a 36,330 sq ft head office building into which UK Mail will move from its current Birmingham location, which has been compulsorily purchased by the government for HS2.
With the installation of new automated sorting equipment, UK Mail plans to increase the proportion of parcels it handles automatically from 20% to around 80%.
UK Mail chief executive Guy Buswell said: “Prologis Park Ryton was selected following an extensive search of real estate in the West Midlands area.”
“We have worked closely with Prologis to design a state-of-the-art facility that will support our business growth and help us to maintain our position as the leading parcel carrier in the UK.”
The new facility will begin construction in early 2014.
Prologis UK managing director Andrew Griffiths said: “We are pleased to have met UK Mail’s requirements for a new national hub at Prologis Park Ryton.
“The park, which is strategically located at the heart of the UK motorway network, is attracting a high level of interest. The UK Mail facility follows closely behind buildings for Network Rail, Hi Logistics, and Freeman, as well as a 225,000 sq ft speculative unit that is currently under construction.”
North Rae Sanders, Jones Lang LaSalle and Gerald Eve acted for Prologis.
chris.berkin@estatesgazette.com
