Building and project consultancy Paragon has been appointed by Big Yellow to advise on three new self storage sites totalling 187,000 sq ft, as part of the company’s current £230m development program.
Paragon will provide employer’s agent and cost management services on new Big Yellow Self Storage stores located in Battersea, Bracknell and Uxbridge. The team will be led by director Mark Sheehan, based in Paragon’s Esher office.
Big Yellow, which has its headquarters in Bagshot, Surrey, is one of the largest self storage companies in the UK. The group provides personal and business storage across 75 stores, with 83 per cent of its revenue generated in London and the South East.
Big Yellow has thirteen self storage development sites principally in London and the South East. The sites have a combined capacity of approximately 900,000 sq ft, which when open will increase the Group’s capacity by 19 per cent to 5.6m sq ft of storage space.
Work is underway on the redevelopment of the existing 34,000 sq ft Battersea store. This will create a new 75,000 sq ft store and a mixed-use development comprising 168 apartments and 18,500 sq ft of offices, retail and artists’ studios. The new Battersea store is due to open in summer 2020.
Planning consent has been granted for a new 57,000 sq ft store in Bracknell, which is due to open in summer 2020. In Uxbridge, a planning application has been submitted for a 55,000 sq ft store following the acquisition of the site in 2018.
Commenting on Paragon’s appointment, Big Yellow Group construction director, Nigel Hartley, said: “This pipeline of new Big Yellow stores will increase our capacity and revenue over the next few years.
“We have worked closely with Mark over several years and are excited to be working with him and the Paragon team. They understand our business and have a proven track record in delivering multiple high-profile projects for fast-growing businesses like ours. With plans to deliver a number of mixed-use developments alongside our core product, Paragon is the ideal consultancy for us to partner with.”
Paragon is one of the UK’s largest independent building and project consultancies, with a turnover of £22m and employing nearly 200 people. The company has offices in London, Esher, Manchester, Edinburgh and Bristol.
Paragon’s Mark Sheehan added: “Big Yellow Group has a very popular product, a well-recognised brand and an excellent reputation for customer service. It is rewarding to help them scale this further into new stores as part of an exciting expansion and diversification strategy. Paragon has a distinct approach which is focused on producing positive commercial results, so we are perfectly placed to help Big Yellow deliver its development pipeline.”