Taunton is becoming a new industrial hotspot as a lack of stock forces businesses to widen their search for premises, according to commercial property specialist Colliers International.
The industrial and logistics team covering the south west has noted increased activity in the Somerset town recently, and is expecting this to continue and to extend further afield.
“There is a definite shift of interest down the M5 corridor from prospective occupiers who have begun looking further afield from areas such as Bristol, Yate, Avonmouth and Thornbury because of shortage of stock,” said Tom Watkins, who has been involved in a number of warehouse deals in Taunton.
“We recently acquired Units F-J, totalling 3,846 sq ft at Cornishway South on Galmington Trading Estate on behalf of Plumbase, part of Grafton plc, as they decided to relocate from Unit 2 Cornishway North to a slightly larger premises.
“Prior to that we acquired 4,154 sq ft on behalf of Screwfix, next to Topps Tiles at the entrance of Galmington Trading Estate. This acquisition provides a second Screwfix store in Taunton, which is now open and trading.
“Our latest instruction has been to jointly market with Greenslade Taylor Hunt a detached warehouse at 40 Livingstone Way in north-west Taunton, which we expect to attract a great deal of interest.”
The 6,905 sq ft unit is prominently located on an established business park and is within a few minutes’ drive from Junction 25 and 26 of the M5 motorway.
It consists of a 4,200 sq ft full-height warehouse; first floor offices of 735 sq ft: plus ancillary space of 1,970 sq ft, – total 6,905 sq ft.
Tom Watkins said: “There are extensive yard areas for a unit of this size, and 5.8 metre eaves height. This makes it ideally suited to quasi retail, warehouse, trade counter and distribution use.
“This premises has everything going for it, and we hope to receive plenty of interest, not least because industrial stock is also limited around Taunton and we predict that many companies looking for premises will begin searching further afield in locations such as Wellington and Tiverton in Devon.”