ABP earmarks 1,000 acres of port land for development

The Port of Garston will benefit from a share of £5m that Associated British Ports plans to spend on preparing vacant plots for redevelopment in a bid to support the UK’s supply chain, including the manufacturing and renewable energy sectors. 

A total of 17 acres has been identified as being suitable for redevelopment at the Liverpool port. 

ABP will spend cash on obtaining outline planning consent for the sites and preparing them for future business uses. 

ABP’s Hull ports stand to benefit most from the initiative, more than 600 acres are being freed up at Hull International Enterprise Park and King George & Queen Elizabeth Dock. 

ABP operates 21 ports around the UK and is making 14 strategic sites, encompassing a total of 1,075 acres, available for a range of business uses. 

ABP’s chief executive Henrik L. Pedersen said: “Our ports, with their superb connectivity both domestic and internationally, together with established infrastructure, already play a key role in the UK manufacturing, supply chain and energy sectors. 

“This initiative will enable a growing number of businesses to leverage our land, property partnering expertise and power capacity. We believe this can make a significant contribution to the country’s economic vibrancy and supply chain efficiency.” 

CBRE is advising ABP on the initiative. 

Bruce Robertson, head of supply chain and consumer advisory at CBRE added: “The country needs more distribution hubs adjacent to major conurbations with a good labour supply and that can connect into our road and rail networks. These ABP sites are superbly situated to do just that. 

“The need for more warehouse space to fulfil online retailing – which is growing and was accelerated by the pandemic – plus ongoing labour shortages are putting unprecedented pressure on the UK’s supply chain.”