DAVENTRY District Council has given its approval to a 535,000 square foot industrial logistics building on Prologis RFI DIRFT, at junction 18 of the M1 motorway in Northamptonshire.
The expansion at DIRFT was authorised via a Development Consent Order (DCO), a special kind of consent for major infrastructure projects in England and Wales. The level of detail contained within the initial submission and consultation helped to bring about a quick decision and will help secure further investment on the logistics park.
“The DCO planning process at DIRFT means we can give certainty to any customers looking for a bespoke logistics building within a short timeframe,” said Phil Oakley, Market Officer in the Leasing & Development Team at Prologis UK and an advocate of rail-served logistics.
“Working in partnership with Daventry District Council we have now reduced the time taken to bring forward a bespoke building from a typical 13 weeks for planning approval to just 8 weeks at DIRFT.”
Councillor David James, Economic, Regeneration and Employment Portfolio Holder on Daventry District Council, said: “DIRFT is an important part of the local economy, bringing investment and employment to Daventry District, and further cementing this area as the favoured location for many of the UK’s leading logistics operations.
“Daventry District Council prides itself on taking a forward-thinking approach, and this is a great example of a developer working in partnership with the local planning service to deliver a valuable project.”
“We know that speed is often of the essence for our customers,” Oakley continues. “For this reason, DIRFT is ready to go and already benefits from over 30 MVA of electricity. This is an important consideration for our customers as power supply is crucial in the drive towards automation.”
Already home to brands including Tesco, Eddie Stobart, Sainsburys and Arcadia, 95% of the British population can be reached within a 4.5-hour drive of DIRFT. As a rail terminal DIRFT also benefits from excellent nationwide connectivity thanks to its location on the central section of the West Coast Main Line. This route stretches from Greater London to Edinburgh, linking the Midlands and the North West. A direct route to the Channel Tunnel extends the network to France and the rest of Mainland Europe.
In addition to the benefits for local industry, the local community close to DIRFT also benefit from increased employment opportunities, dedicated security and access to Lilbourne Meadows – a 193-acre nature reserve, which forms part of Prologis RFI DIRFT .
“A number of local residents are employed by the many companies at DIRFT,” said Josie Flavell of Crick Parish Council. “Prologis also contributes towards two police community support officers, organises litter removal, pays for cycling and pedestrian routes and financed a heritage board to be placed at the site of the old Kilsby and Crick railway.”