Stoford has commenced enabling works at Worcester Six Business Park, which will unlock more than 60 acres of development land. 

The leading commercial property developer is delivering an extension to the southern estate road, linking the existing business park to a new access point onto the B4636 Newtown Road.

The project will facilitate the development of the southern extension on the site and includes investment in utilities services, stormwater drainage and landscaping.

Stoford has appointed Worcester-based firm, Montel Civil Engineering, to deliver the road and infrastructure works, which are expected to be complete by the end of Q3 2024.

The extension of Worcester Six is part of a long-term development strategy and is included in the South Worcestershire Development Plan. Once complete, phase two will deliver up to a further 680,000 sq ft of new employment accommodation on c.60 acres of land.

Stoford is also safeguarding and improving the green space at Worcester Six. It has worked with Worcestershire’s Green Infrastructure (GI) Partnership to create a long-term GI Concept Plan, which will see the developer putting aside over 40% of the site for natural habitats and landscaping.

Stoford Director, Edward Peel, said: “We are very pleased to have begun enabling works at Worcester Six. It has always been part of our long-term vision to extend the business park and this project will provide the necessary road extension and infrastructure for phase two of development. There continues to be significant occupier interest in the scheme due to its accessible location and the high standard of accommodation. The works ensure that we are able to provide fully infrastructure development plots, improving the site’s deliverability to occupiers.”

Councillor Marc Bayliss, Cabinet Member for Economy, Infrastructure and Skills at Worcestershire County Council, said: “I am pleased to welcome further development to the Worcester Six Business Park, where local jobs are being created. We are continuing to work with our district council and wider partners to bring the site forwards and ensure it remains a high quality location for businesses to thrive in. The site has seen significant investment from inside and outside the country, and this latest stage of development will help to ensure we can continue to meet the current demand from companies who are looking to use the site to expand and grow.”

Councillor Richard Morris, Executive Board Member for Economic Growth and Tourism, on Wychavon District Council, said: “This work is an important step to creating the additional space businesses need to expand, which is vital if we are going to continue to support the growth of our economy. Worcester Six has been a real success story generating hundreds of jobs and attracting a range of innovative companies. This next phase will allow more businesses to be part of that success story.”

An engineering company is set to double in size after signing a lease on a new premises in Worcester.

Sierra CP Engineering Ltd, which designs and builds world-class engine and vehicle test facilities, is set to move to Worcester Six Business Park in spring 2024 after receiving support from leading property consultancy Fisher German.

The company appointed Fisher German to conduct a full market search for a new site after outgrowing its current 14,000 sq ft premises in Malvern.

Sierra CP Engineering was looking for a premises closer to Worcester which would enable it to extend its manufacturing area as part of ambitious growth plans to increase staff numbers and revenue.

Fisher German conducted a thorough search for sites before acting on behalf of the company to negotiate and agree a new 10-year lease on a 28,167 sq ft premises at the business park.

The firm’s building consultancy team then carried out a Schedule of Dilapidations and Schedule of Condition for the unit.

Contractors are anticipated to begin fitting out the site after Christmas, with Sierra CP Engineering expecting to officially open in spring next year.

Tom Hyde, of Sierra CP Engineering, said: “We have been based at our current site for 20 years, and in the last 15 years we have seen our revenue grow from £3 million to £15 million per annum.

“We are keen to build this momentum further but we have outgrown our current premises and are very limited in what we can get out of the door.

“Fisher German’s strong knowledge of the market meant they were hugely supportive in locating and securing our new premises. They truly understood our business needs and professionally managed the process throughout.

“Our new unit at Worcester Six Business Park will provide us with ample space to expand as we look to accelerate our growth plans.

“It is an extremely exciting time for the business and we look forward to launching our new site in Worcester next year.”

Lauren Allcoat, Associate at Fisher German, said: “We are very pleased to secure a new unit on behalf of Sierra CP Engineering.

“We were able to provide the company with insights into the market, produce a report of availability based on business needs and negotiate a lease structured to our client’s needs upon favourable terms for the new unit.

“Providing a full spectrum of property services also meant we were also able to carry out a Schedule of Dilapidations and Schedule of Condition for the unit, protecting our client’s future liabilities.

“Worcester Business Park is an excellent location, benefitting from strong transport links and ample parking.

“It will be a fantastic site to support Sierra’s growth plans, and we look forward to seeing the business officially open at the new unit next year.”

National foodservice wholesaler Bidfood is to open a new facility at Worcester Six Business Park after it agreed terms with leading developer Stoford.

Bidfood, which supplies more than 10,000 products to over 45,000 caterers and foodservice businesses around the UK, is opening its first facility in the region, occupying a bespoke building on Plot 8A.

The news comes as planning permission was granted for the development, which comprises 62,431 sq ft of floor space for B2 (general industrial) and B8 (storage and distribution) use, plus ancillary offices.

The scheme has been designed to meet the requirements of Bidfood and will comprise a state-of-the-art cold store with ancillary office space at ground and first floor, a 40m-deep service yard providing sufficient loading docks, level access doors and parking.

Edward Peel, Director at Stoford, said: “Bidfood is a major employer across the country, so choosing Worcester Six for its new facility is a coup for the business park and the local area. It recognises the superb location, local supply chain, easy access to the motorway and main road network and is keen to be part of the business park’s success.”

Claire Cox, Head of Property, Estate Services & Procurement at Bidfood, added: “This latest addition to our estate continues to highlight the importance that we place on long-term investment in our infrastructure. The new depot in Worcester will provide excellent transport links to the Midlands region, enhancing our ability to provide customers with service excellence, as well as benefiting the local community with around 200 new jobs.”

Work is expected to begin in Q1 2024.

Stoford has also submitted planning for a unit on Plot 8B, alongside the Bidfood application.  It is a strategy the developer has deployed previously at Worcester Six, providing a clear route to the delivery of a unit for potential occupiers. The proposed unit extends to 57,705 sq ft and can be ready for occupation in Q4 2024.

Both plots are accessed via extensions to the existing internal estate roads, linking the new development plot back to Clayfield Road and Pershore Lane, which is served by junction 6 of the M5.

A national transport company with ambitious growth plans is opening a new headquarters at the popular Worcester Six Business Park next month (November 2023).

Stop Start Transport Limited, which is currently based in Berkeley Business Park, Worcester, is relocating 1.5 miles south to Cabot 38, a 34,000 sq ft of flexible commercial space and 4,073 sq ft of offices, within the business park as part of its growth and investment plans in the region.

Chris Pullen, MD at Stop Start, which has been part of the Listed Swedish investment firm Storskogen Group AB, since April 2022, said that thanks to strong growth across the business, it needs larger premises to meet increasing customer demand. Cabot 38 is not only 30% larger than its existing premises, but the eaves are also just over six feet higher, which provides an additional 10% of storage space.

The company, which delivers high-value bathroom products nationwide for some of the biggest brands in the country, is fitting out now and plans to move in early November. It employs about 100 staff and with the expansion, plans to continue hiring more local members of staff over the next couple of years.

“We’ve been contemplating moving for the past couple of years, but seeing the high specification at Cabot 38, as well as its close proximity to junction six of the M5, tipped us in favour of moving,” he said.

“We’ve been at our existing site for 15 years, but we now need somewhere that gives us the space to grow over the next ten years and Cabot 38 provides that. This is a significant investment and part of Storskogen’s strategic plans for Stop Start and we are looking forward to moving in.”

Giles Thomas, agent at BNP Paribas Real Estate, said he had received strong interest in the unit from several regional companies from different sectors, eventually agreeing a 10-year lease deal with Stop Start transport after the building achieved practical completion in July.

“I’m pleased to have secured another high-calibre company for Worcester Six,” he said. “The location and standard of accommodation at Worcester Six is undoubtedly the driver for attracting companies, making it a real success story for the area.

“Over the last few years, it has developed into a well-established and appealing business park, and it is testament to the specification of the builds and the overall vision to create an environmentally desirable location that is putting it on the map.”

The speculative unit, adjacent to ZwickRoell and Kimal, benefits from photovoltaic roof panels and has achieved an EPC A rating. Overall, Worcester Six has a BREEAM rating of ‘Very Good’. It has been funded by Cabot Properties, a private equity real estate investment firm based in Boston, USA, and a leading investor, developer and operator of industrial properties.

Worcester Six is being developed by commercial property developer Stoford, which is committed to creating a high-quality business park. It has already attracted a number of world-class businesses to the region, including Siemens, Kohler Mira, Kimal, IONOS, ZwickRoell and Alliance Flooring Distribution.

Once fully developed, it will provide 2.1 million sq ft of accommodation. It already benefits from more than 850,000 sq ft having been delivered or committed across the scheme.

 

Leading developer Stoford has submitted a planning application for works at Worcester Six Business Park on the southern side of the site.

If Wychavon District Council’s planning committee approves the application, it will mean Stoford can begin extending the estate road from the existing business park through to a new access point onto the B4636 Newtown Road.

Edward Peel, Stoford Director, said: “Following the outline planning application approval for the extension to Worcester Six which was granted in December 2021, we are delighted to announce that a detailed application has now been submitted for the road and infrastructure works.

“We are in the process of discussing the works with contractors, which will enable us to start the works immediately upon approval.

“Extending the business park has always been part of the long-term strategy. It promises to be another important milestone as we attract new occupiers who want to join other successful national and international businesses that are making a critical contribution to the local economy.

“Our strategy to submit planning and start the works is due to the continued occupier interest in the site and we look forward to making further announcements in due course.”

An extension has always been part of the Worcester Six Business Park plans, which is included in the South Worcestershire Development Plan.

When phase two is complete, it will provide up to a further 680,000 sq ft of floorspace on 61.18 acres of land, adjacent to Newtown Road.

The developer is also safeguarding and improving the green space at Worcester Six. It has worked with Worcestershire’s Green Infrastructure (GI) Partnership to create a long-term GI Concept Plan, which will see Stoford putting aside 40% of the site for natural habitats and landscaping, in addition to on-plot landscaping.

Work has completed on a speculative unit at the popular Worcester Six Business Park, commercial property developer Stoford has announced.

Cabot 38, which comprises 34,000 sq ft of flexible commercial space and 4,073 sq ft of offices, has been specified to suit a range of occupiers and has E(g), B2 and B8 planning consent.

The unit, adjacent to ZwickRoell and Kimal, benefits from photovoltaic roof panels and has achieved an EPC A rating. Overall, Worcester Six has a BREEAM rating of ‘Very Good’.

Edward Peel, Director at Stoford, said: “We are delighted to have completed the building, which has been funded by international private equity real estate firm Cabot Properties. The unit is our tenth at Worcester Six. It has been completed to an extremely high specification and is already attracting interest from potential tenants.”

“Our significant investment in Worcester Six over the past few years has led to the creation of a high-quality business park that has attracted a number of world-class businesses to the region,” he said. “I’ve no doubt the quality of Cabot 38 will ensure another ambitious company will want to play its part in this success story.

“Not only is it a success story for local business and enterprise, it is also good news from an environmental point of view as we are safeguarding the valuable green space and preserving the rich, diverse wildlife there. We’re proud to be delivering on our environmental remit, too.”

Stoford has worked with Worcestershire’s Green Infrastructure (GI) Partnership to create a long-term GI Concept Plan, which will see the developer putting aside 6.55ha of the site for natural habitats and landscaping, in addition to on-plot landscaping.