Phoenix 66 Case Study

Phoenix Avenue, Green Lane Industrial Park, Featherstone, West Yorkshire, WF7 6EP

ONWARD TAKING THE HIGH ROAD TO LOGISTICS MARKET

While others hesitated during the economic downturn caused by the 2008 banking crisis, Onward Holdings saw the potential of waste land just outside Featherstone which ultimately became the site for Phoenix 66, the state-of-the-art high bay warehouse that was launched to market when the Brexit stockpiling frenzy and rise of e-commerce was, and still is, impacting the logistics sector.

Guided by quality not quantity

The four-acre site on the Green Lane Industrial Estate already had planning permission for small multiple industrial units – we could have crammed a lot of units on the site – but we were thinking bigger! We knew that the plot offered great access to the major transport links to all four corners of the UK making it an ideal location to develop a major logistics facility.

Purchasing a rundown plot when the economy was in the doldrums and turning it into a high-quality warehouse took considerable investment in time and money but we recognised that there was a nationwide shortage of the size of unit that we planned to build.

Our spec was to design a high-quality warehouse, with many advantages including yard parking for up to 40 commercial vehicles and the right ratio of surface and dock loaders, that would attract a blue-chip client.

Size matters

As more and more goods are purchased online and shipped directly to homes rather than taking different routes, high quality storage and distribution hubs of Phoenix 66’s size are at a premium across the UK, especially for the companies we were looking to attract.

Suitable for the storage and the distribution of a wide range of goods, Phoenix 66 extends to around 66,923sqft along with 3,207sqft of first-floor office accommodation, meaning that the office and welfare offering could be extended if the current occupier wishes.

In addition to a generous concrete service yard, other vital statistics include 13.1m eaves height, uniform floor loading of 50 kNm2, six loading doors (including 4 docks), solar panels on the rooftop, an electric car charging point and state-of-the-art security systems.

Onward going forward

Effective and flexible space management for maximum operational efficiency is part and parcel of all our packages whether required as bespoke warehousing or for specialist distribution. Our vision is building facilities that can be adapted to accommodate a wide range of logistical requirements.

As the COVID-19 pandemic forces even more retailers online we are looking for more commercial development land as part of our plan to continually provide the opportunity for businesses to gain a vital foothold in the northern supply chain. We offer modern warehouses that are spacious, fast, high-bay, multifunctional and fit for purpose.

Conclusion

It has been well documented that quality warehousing, especially close to excellent transport links, is lagging behind demand due to a proliferation of e-commerce and discount retailers taking up available space to meet the huge increase in online shopping. Phoenix 66 was built to help meet the need from businesses for high-quality logistics facilities in the Yorkshire region.