Construction has begun on an 180,121 sq ft unit at Worcester Six Business Park for one of the UK’s leading dedicated flooring distribution companies.

Developer Stoford is delivering a bespoke unit for Worcestershire-based Alliance Flooring Distribution, a subsidiary of Victoria PLC, which offers a UK wide storage, cutting and distribution service for both soft and hard flooring and is moving its operations from Kidderminster to unit 7 at the business park.

To meet its targets of reducing its carbon footprint, the build of the unit will be net carbon zero in operation and will feature extensive electric vehicle charging points and photovoltaic panels on the roof.

Stoford is also creating two new ponds, which will further improve the green infrastructure on the business park, provide an attractive setting and also introduce new habitats for wildlife.

Contractor Benniman has been appointed to build the unit, which will comprise 157,000 sq ft of warehousing, as well as 21,000 sq ft of offices and ancillary space.

Completion is expected in Q4 2022 and Alliance Flooring Distribution, which hopes to create a further 60 roles over the next three years, aims to be fully operational on site early 2023.

Edward Peel, Development Manager at Stoford, said: “It’s great news that we have started to build this bespoke unit for Alliance Flooring Distribution. We’ll deliver a high-quality unit on a business park that is already making its mark on the local economy and gaining attention from global and national companies that are keen to base themselves in a strategic location that is convenient for both the south west and the Midlands.

“Worcester Six has attracted several significant employers that are making their homes and are planning their long-term futures here. This is all positive news for Wychavon, in which the business park sits, and surrounding areas.”

Philippe Hamers , CEO of Victoria PLC, said: “A fast and effective distribution network is vital in our industry and this project shows how serious we are about servicing the UK and in an environmentally friendly way.  Worcester 6 futureproofs the fantastic distribution service that we offer both to the Victoria brands and our valued third-party customers.  We are looking forward to seeing the completion of the building works and starting to operate out of this top-notch facility early next year.”

In the past four years, Worcester Six has welcomed Marmon Food and Beverage Equipment, Siemens, Spire Healthcare, Kimal, Kohler Mira and IONOS.

For details about Worcester Six Business Park and other units that can be provided, contact the agent: Charles D’Auncey at Harris Lamb – charles.dauncey@harrislamb.com or Ben Wiley at BNP Paribas – ben.wiley@realestate.bnpparibas

Photograph (l-r): Mel Walstrom (Alliance Flooring Distribution); Gerard Ludlow (Stoford); Kevin Waters (Alliance Flooring Distribution); Richard Morris (Wychavon District Council); Steve Lunn (Alliance Flooring Distribution); Matthew Burgin (Stoford); Jason McHenry (Alliance Flooring Distribution); Phil Yates (MD, Alliance Flooring Distribution); Adrian Baron (Benniman Construction Group); Gary Woodman (Worcestershire LEP); and Claire Madden (Brasier Freeth).

Youngsters at a small village first school in Worcestershire are looking forward to new and improved IT lessons after leading developer Stoford donated new laptops.

Crowle C of E First School, in the village of Crowle, which has just 62 pupils from the ages of four to nine, was provided with funding from Stoford, which is developing the nearby Worcester Six Business Park, for the equipment.

Martina Abbott, headteacher at the school, said: “This generous donation is going to make all the difference to our IT lessons. It means we can revive the curriculum to teach the children mouse control and touch typing, which you can’t do on tablets.

“Our existing computers are very old but because our budget is so small, we had no idea how we could replace them, so this provision is not just timely, it is also very welcome indeed and we can’t thank Stoford enough.”

Gerard Ludlow, Director at Stoford, said: “We were only too pleased to help Crowle First School with its wish to buy new IT equipment for the pupils and hope the children enjoy their lessons with the laptops.”

Stoford has had its plans approved to extend Worcester Six Business Park on the southern side of the site.

Wychavon District Council’s planning committee approved the application today (Thursday, December 9), which means the leading developer will be able to provide up to a further 680,000 sq ft of floorspace on 61.18 acres of land, adjacent to Newtown Road.

An extension has always been part of the Worcester Six Business Park plans and it is included in the South Worcestershire Development Plan, which was adopted in 2016 by councils in south Worcestershire.

Gerard Ludlow, Director at Stoford, said: “This is an important step forward for the growth of Worcester Six and it comes at a time when we are in a strong position to put forward our long-term plans to add carefully designed units that are in keeping with the location. We are looking forward to making a start so that we can attract even more national and international companies to Worcester, bringing much-needed jobs to the area.”

The developer is also fulfilling its commitment to 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 6.55 ha of the site for natural habitats and landscaping, in addition to on-plot landscaping.

Plans include the retention of woodland, grassland areas, and species-rich hedgerows.  New habitats will be created, including a wildflower meadow, a wildlife tower, and a variety of structures to support insects, invertebrates, birds and bats.

Worcester Six Business Park is a few minutes’ drive from junction six of the M5 and home to a number of major national and international companies, including IONOS, Kohler Mira, Spire Healthcare, Cornelius, Kimal, and Materials Solutions.

Worcestershire-based Victoria PLC, the UK’s largest flooring manufacturer and distributor, has been granted permission for a bespoke 180,121 sq ft unit at Worcester Six Business Park.

The planning committee of Wychavon District Council approved plans, submitted by leading developer Stoford, for unit 7, where Victoria PLC will house Alliance Flooring Distribution, one of its businesses.

Both Stoford and Victoria PLC have committed to a more environmentally friendly approach to the development, with the base build of the unit being net carbon zero in operation. It will also have photovoltaic panels on the roof and there will be extensive electric vehicle charging points.

Stoford will also create two new ponds to further improve the green infrastructure on the business park.

Edward Peel, Development Manager at Stoford, said it had secured £28.3 million forward funding for the scheme from Frasers Logistics and Commercial Trust (FLCT), a Singapore-based REIT (real estate investment trust).

Frasers’ acquisition through a forward funding agreement for the facility builds on its strategy to grow its core logistics and industrial portfolio in existing markets.

Stoford aims to start building work in the new year, with an expected completion date of Q4 2022.

“We’re pleased to have been given the go-ahead for another major business to join the raft of global names that have already made their home at Worcester Six,” said Edward.

“This is a thriving business park that is playing a significant role in helping to boost the local economy, thanks to the jobs the businesses are creating, and Victoria PLC will be no exception as it forges ahead with its growth plans.

“We’re looking forward to getting started on delivering the scheme for this historic, local company.”

Victoria PLC, a major employer in Kidderminster since 1900, has agreed a 15-year lease for bespoke unit.

Philippe Hamers, CEO for Victoria PLC, said: “It’s great news that planning approval has been granted. It means we are one step closer to enjoying an exciting new chapter that will enable us to both future-proof and grow our distribution business. We’re looking forward working with Stoford as our bespoke, environmentally friendly unit is built at Worcester Six.”

In the past three years, Worcester Six has welcomed a number of national and global names to the business park, including Zwick Roell, Marmon Food and Beverage Equipment, Siemens, Spire Healthcare, Kimal, Kohler Mira and IONOS.

Victoria PLC was advised by Brasier Freeth and Stoford by BNP Paribas and Harris Lamb.

For details about the scheme and other units that can be provided, contact the agent: Charles D’Auncey at Harris Lamb – charles.dauncey@harrislamb.com or Ben Wiley at BNP Paribas – ben.wiley@realestate.bnpparibas

Leading property developer Stoford has announced the practical completion of an energy-efficient data centre at Worcester Six Business Park for one of Europe’s largest data-hosting companies.

The 43,708 sq ft unit for IONOS, the largest European-based data hosting company, and Fasthosts, its subsidiary UK brand, comprises a cutting-edge 30,729 sq ft data centre and 12,978 sq ft of ancillary offices.

Completed on time, the unit has a wide range of sustainable and energy-efficient features, including solar photovoltaic panels that cover the entire roof and Tata Steel’s Confidex Sustain wall and roof cladding, which creates a carbon-neutral building envelope.

Gerard Ludlow, Director at Stoford, said: “We’ve made superb progress on this data centre for IONOS and are pleased to announce we have achieved practical completion.

“We are proud to have delivered Wychavon’s first data centre for IONOS and the environmentally friendly facilities are testament to the company’s quest for sustainability, something that we at Stoford are also keen to pursue across all of our sites.

“As Worcester Business Park continues to take shape, it has gained a well-deserved reputation as a first-class site that is attracting global names to the region. Its strategic location and excellent transport links demonstrate that companies recognise it as a place to grow and do business.”

Sab Knight, Head of UK Sales at IONOS, said: “The new Worcester site is crucial for IONOS’ growth in the UK and shows our commitment to further invest in infrastructure and jobs.

“We are very happy that the building was completed on time and have already started the technical fit out of the data centre in what will be the most modern and environmentally friendly IONOS data centre to date. The Worcester Six site will start operation in the first half of 2022 and will host one of the most advanced cloud platforms in Europe.”

Councillor Marc Bayliss, Worcestershire County Council Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Economy and Skills, said: “It is great news for the county as construction has now finished at IONOS’s unit at Worcester Six Business Park. It’s another clear and visual indication of the progress we have made over recent years, being able to welcome world-renowned businesses to Worcestershire.

“The completion of the IONOS build will provide Worcestershire with a highly valued asset through the company’s connections with data, one of the world’s most valuable commodities, and should bring substantial economic benefits for the county.”

Councillor Richard Morris, Wychavon District Council Deputy Leader and Executive Board Member for Economic Growth and Tourism, said: “I’m delighted with this investment, which delivers not only high quality jobs and a sustainable building but essential IT infrastructure businesses need to develop and expand. It is a sign of the confidence investors have, not only in our growing local economy, but in Worcester Six Business Park itself as Worcestershire’s premier gamechanger site, offering a broad range of employment opportunities for residents.”

IONOS was established in 1988 and is the largest hosting company in Europe, managing more than eight million customer contracts and hosting more than 12 million domains in its regional data centres around the globe. The IONOS group operates in fifteen countries around the world and employs 3,500 people worldwide.

In the past three years, Worcester Six has welcomed Marmon Food and Beverage Equipment, Siemens, Spire Healthcare, Kimal and Kohler Mira. Once fully developed, the business park will provide 1.5 million sq ft of accommodation.

For details about the scheme and other units that can be provided, contact the agents: Charles D’Auncey at Harris Lamb – charles.dauncey@harrislamb.com, or Ben Wiley at BNP Paribas Real Estate – Ben.Wiley@realestate.bnpparisbas

Building work has begun at Worcester Six Business Park for a new unit for a global supplier of materials testing machines.

Leading commercial developer Stoford is bringing forward the bespoke office unit for ZwickRoell, a world-leading supplier of static materials testing machines, which will move its UK headquarters to the business park from Leominster, Herefordshire.

Stoford has appointed Benniman to complete the build of a 19,849 sq ft office, from where ZwickRoell will base its office functions. Work is expected to be completed in Q3 2022.

The manufacturer plans to build a 10,000 sq ft assembly unit at a later date, after which it hopes to provide further opportunities to create jobs and expand as a business.

Edward Peel, Development Manager at Stoford, said: “It’s always an exciting time when we begin construction works and it’s especially gratifying that it is for yet another globally renowned, high-tech business, which sees its future at Worcester Six.

“Since we launched the business park in 2017, it has established itself as a first-class location for ambitious companies that recognise its strengths – not just quality units, but also its strategic location, excellent transport links and environmental infrastructure.”

Benno Sadowski, Managing Director for ZwickRoell, said: “We are very happy moving to Worcester Six Business Park, with its excellent strategic location in the UK. Our customers are facing new challenges globally and locally every day, developing and improving all kinds of materials for the future requirements.

“With our experience of more than 160 years in the material testing business, we offer our support and solutions at our new Customer Experience Centre here at Worcester Six Business Park. I’m looking forward to having many interesting discussions with our customers and working together on solutions to making this place a better world, step by step.”

Councillor Marc Bayliss, Worcestershire County Council Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Economy and Skills said “It’s fantastic news that yet another leading business in their field, ZwickRoell has chosen Worcestershire, as the place to expand its facilities in the UK. This potential development would see a new headquarter and customer experience centre to Worcester Six Business Park. A global leader in materials testing, ZwickRoell is a real success story.”

Shawn Riley, Head of Economic Development at Wychavon District Council, added: “ZwickRoell’s relocation to Worcester Six is another great example of an international company offering first class products and good quality employment choosing Wychavon for its UK base. We welcome and value this investment and look forward to a long and productive relationship with them.

“As a result of ZwickRoell’s investments, the new state-of-the-art office building has an additional 8,000 sq ft capacity to accommodate other businesses seeking new office accommodation in a first-class location. Interested businesses can contact Wychavon District Council for information on this excellent opportunity.”

In the past three years, Stoford has announced the arrival of Marmon Food and Beverage Equipment, Siemens, Spire Healthcare, Kimal, Kohler Mira and IONOS at Worcester Six. Once fully developed, Worcester Six, which is located just off junction six of the M5, will provide 1.5 million sq ft of accommodation.

Photograph (left to right): Stephen Butterworth, inward investment manager, Worcestershire County Council; Shawn Riley, head of economic development, Wychavon District Council; Edward Peel, Stoford; Benno Sadowski, managing director, ZwickRoell; Bev Smith, director at ZwickRoell.