By Richard Baker, a Director of commercial property agent Prop-Search: Whilst a recent report has revealed that Daventry has seen the biggest year-on-year uplift of house sales with a 56 per centre rise, perhaps it is not that surprising says commercial property agent, Prop-Search, that the town and surrounding area has also seen record new company registrations. Furthermore, future job opportunities in the region are looking positive.
Followings its acquisition of a 18.5 acre site next to the Ford parts distribution centre on the Royal Oak Industrial Estate, Gazeley has submitted plans for a 298,000 warehouse facility, estimating the creation of up to 760 new jobs. In a normal market this would win headlines, but in today’s hectic scene, is easily eclipsed by the golden brightness of Prologis’s plans at DIRFT.
The Secretary of State last year approved Prologis’s plans to deliver a 300 hectare expansion of Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal – DIRFT III – which when completed could employ around 9,000 people. The proposed development will comprise approximately eight million sq ft of rail served distribution space, with the capacity to handle up to 32 freight trains per day. It is able to cater for requirements from 100,000 sq ft to 1.65 million sq ft and predictions are that the first buildings will be delivered by the end of 2016.
At the end of last year, Prologis announced a lease agreement with the leading UK multimodal logistic operator Eddie Stobart on a purpose-built 420,000 sq ft rail-connected unit at DIRFT II. The company already has a strong presence within the area.
Further new jobs could be created in the town centre once the new Mulberry Place scheme is progressed. This is consented to deliver a new shopping centre, cafes, bars and restaurants; a seven-screen cinema and replacement of the existing library. The development is being bought forward by Daventry District Council in partnership with Henry Boot Developments, with work scheduled to begin later this year.
Progressing simultaneously with Mulberry Place are proposals for a new 80,000 sq ft superstore and petrol station, retail units and 500 parking spaces on land in the Waterloo area of Daventry, on the north-west side of the town centre. Henry Boot Developments is also moving this development forward, which will form an attractive base for national retailers and together with Mulberry Place, will help anchor the existing town centre retail offer. The site links to the proposed Daventry WaterSpace development, on land off Eastern Way.
It’s estimated that together with Mulberry Place, the two developments could generate up to 755 new jobs in Daventry and bring around £50 million of investment into the town.
Work on a major expansion project at a national manufacturing firm’s Daventry headquarters is set to go ahead in the spring after the scheme was granted planning approval. Roofing products specialist Hambleside Danelaw is working with Daventry District Council on plans to build a new 30,000 sq ft facility next to its flagship headquarters in Long March, which it leases from the Council. The new development, which will accommodate a new production line for glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) rooflights, was granted approval by Planning Committee in January. The new facility is part of Hambleside Danelaw’s plans for significant long-term investment in response to the recent economic upturn in the construction industry and anticipates that about ten additional jobs will be created locally as a result.
A new branch of a national tools supplier has also opened up on an estate in the town. HSS Hire – a national supplier of tools, equipment and services – opened its new branch in Low March in January and is one the company’s new local hire centres which are opening across the county.
There has also been continued interest in industrial units around the town’s estates. Freeholds have proved particularly popular with two units on the Royal Oak Industrial Estate having both been sold to companies relocating into the area. A 10,600 sq ft has been acquired by a plastics company from Banbury and a 22,000 sq ft unit sold to a Warwickshire company for a self-store depot.
As well as new jobs, Daventry will soon be able to accommodate an additional 700 students as plans for Northampton College’s new £6.5 million campus in the town are revealed. It has been decided to build the new centre on its Badby Road West site as it would enable the college to retain sports facilities, develop an enhanced campus and provide a better learning environment for students. An additional planning application will be submitted to re-develop part of the current college site for residential purposes. Work is set to start in September this year with the new centre opening in autumn 2016.
To further attract people to the town, Daventry District Council in partnership with Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership, have launched a new website – www.lovedaventry.com – showcasing the very best of Daventry as a place to live, work and grow. It went live during February and provides details of the £175 million regeneration of the town centre, investment in housing, education and community facilities, as well as the extensive support and networking available for all businesses.
So there is a lot to love about Daventry including an excellent work-life balance and an ideal location for business.
