Goodman has begun development of a 405,000ft² warehouse in Bedford, due for completion next summer.
The cross-docked facility, to be known as Bedford 405, is being constructed at Bedford Commercial Park, a new mixed-use development. The site is adjacent to the A421, seven miles east of Junction 13 of the M1 and 12 miles west of the Black Cat roundabout on the A1.
Goodman development director George Glennie says that 32 million consumers are accessible within a two-hour drive time and that the development will meet strong demand for distribution property across Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.
“Bedford Commercial Park sits in a strategic location for logistics businesses seeking to take advantage of fast connections to Bedford, Milton Keynes and London to the south and the Midlands to the North,” he said.
The building will have 360-degree circulation around it and a clear internal height of 15 metres. There will be a variety of loading doors, including those for double-deck vehicles.
In addition to the warehouse, the building will also provide 18,500ft² of office space arranged in two storeys in the main building and in two hubs in the north and south yards of the warehouse. There will be parking for 173 HGVs and 403 cars.
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Sustainability initiatives will include electric car charging points, LED lighting and a carbon-neutral cladding envelope. Overall, the building will be developed to a ‘Very Good’ BREEAM rating.
The remainder of Bedford Commercial Park, which is being delivered in partnership with Bedford Borough Council, will provide serviced plots for warehousing and distribution, manufacturing and high-tech and office uses.
This is not the only development taking place in Bedford. Graftongate and LondonMetric have begun development of a 700,000ft² logistics park called Bedford Link.
By Simon Jack
