Plans for a new £225m employment park on which parcel delivery firm DPD will occupy Europe’s largest automated parcel hub, have been given the go ahead creating up to 2,400 jobs.
Midlands-based IM Properties (IMP) will create the new 82 acre employment Park – Hinckley Park, near J1, M69, with 39 acres dedicated to the new £150m super-hub for parcel giant DPD – after planning permission was granted last night by Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council.
In a report given to councillors, planning officers advised that the park will contribute around £20m to the area’s economy during the construction phase, rising to around £47m a year when fully developed. DPD’s new facility will create 750 new jobs.
David Smith, planning director of IMP, which is one of the UK’s largest privately owned property companies, said the park would look to generate jobs across the manufacturing, light industrial and logistics sectors, by attracting new companies to the area and providing space for local businesses to relocate and grow.
“Naturally, we are delighted with the decision and fully committed to working in partnership with the council, residents and businesses to ensure the scheme delivers long-lasting economic benefits for Hinckley and the surrounding area,” he said.
“DPD’s decision to create its super-hub at Hinckley Park is a major boost and our vision remains to deliver a high-quality, sustainable business park which is not only a great place to work, but also generates significant amounts of employment opportunities for business and the community.”
DPD’s investment in the site follows a period of sustained growth for the company, driven by the boom in online shopping in the UK and DPD’s own investment in market leading technology. When operational it will handle some 71,000 parcels an hour.
The new hub will be DPD’s fifth in the UK and will be located just two miles from the firm’s Hub 4 and International Gateway in Sketchley, which both opened in 2015.
Dwain McDonald, DPD’s CEO commented: “I am delighted to announce this very significant investment in new jobs and infrastructure. We are continuing to experience strong growth in demand for our services, which is why we are announcing another massive hub project less than three years after we opened Hub 4.
“We’ve developed really strong links with the area and it is fantastic to be able to invest again in Hinckley. A large part of that decision is based on the excellent workforce here and knowing that we can recruit a good quality team locally was key for us. We already know that the location works brilliantly for us and having the two hubs and our International Gateway in such proximity will give us a huge amount of flexibility.”
Bill Cullen, Chief Executive of Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council added: “This significant investment in DPD’s new super-hub along with new manufacturing and logistics development in this £225m employment park will bring significant job opportunities as well as apprenticeship opportunities to the local area, both during construction and in the new facilities being provided.
“It will generate significant economic benefit to the area, improve public transport provision and underpin the Council’s aspirations for enhancing the prosperity of the Borough for the benefit of our local communities. I look forward to further developing our relationship with DPD and with other key occupiers on the site to ensure our communities experience maximum benefit from the scheme.”
David Smith continued:”We pride ourselves in being a significant investor in the Midlands, which is home to the majority of our assets and schemes. This park is the latest example of our ability to fund major developments, and also to think strategically and for the long-term.”
280 full-time construction jobs are expected to be created during each year of the build programme.
