Ex-colliery site completes development after 10 years

Route One Highways has taken the flagship 10,000 sq ft building in phase three of Priority Sites’ 100,000 sq ft warehouse and distribution scheme in Green Lane, Featherstone.

The development is home to 16 companies, employing about 600 people.

Priority Sites acquired 6.6 acres of former colliery land in 2001 with a vision of capitalising on the land’s connectivity to the major motorway networks via J31 of the M62.

The first two phases of development provided about 60,000 sq ft of industrial units which were built on a speculative basis and sold to various owner occupiers shortly after completion.

A further 42,950 sq ft was speculatively developed over 10 buildings in the third phase, Innovation Square, on an additional 3.7 acres, which is home to companies including P & W Site Fixing, Northgate Information Solutions and Apple Vending.

Nick Prescott, associate partner at agent Gent Visick, said: “The research undertaken prior to development of Innovation Square at Green Lane clearly identified that marked demand was being led by firms looking for good quality sub-5,000 sq ft units. Therefore the smaller units were almost immediately snapped up as the developer had delivered quality buildings that were ideally suited to occupiers’ requirements.”

He added: “The latest tenant, Route One Highways, was seeking client-facing premises in a proven successful logistics centre, which is why the larger, flagship unit one was a perfect match.”