Alpla stays in Wigan with East Lancs acquisition
Development Securities has sold a 147,000 sq ft unit on Stonecross Park, Golborne in Wigan to Alpla UK for its expansion.
Plastic packaging manufacturer Alpla UK was reportedly considering leaving Wigan because it had outgrown its previous premises at Bridge Street, Golborne, and was struggling to find a new site locally to allow it to expand.
The acquisition from DevSec of the unit on the East Lancashire Road safeguards 170 jobs for the area. The fully refurbished unit will be used for manufacturing, office and distribution purposes. DevSec acquired the site from its previous occupants Vimto 18 months ago.
Alpla has also secured planning consent for a 27-metre high bay warehouse extension to increase storage space.
Advising Alpla, Mike Walker, director of logistics and industrial at Colliers CRE Manchester, said: "This was a difficult brief to meet because of Alpla's need for a high bay warehouse area and a large power supply.
"It is encouraging to be involved with a deal on a unit of this size for a company that is actually involved in manufacturing because most transactions on larger units are inevitably in the warehouse and distribution sector."
Steve Brittle, associate director of industrial agency at Atis Real Manchester headed the deal for DevSec and said: "Development Securities Plc has succeeded in attracting an international occupier to this already thriving industrial site. This recent transaction demonstrates that there are still owner occupiers in the market that are actively looking for quality space on a freehold basis."
Daniel Connolly, associate director of planning at Colliers CRE Manchester, added: "We've secured planning permission for one of the largest high-bay warehouses in the North West. The application was dealt with within 13 weeks and its approval retains local jobs whilst providing Alpla with ideal new premises."
Stonecross is a 90-acre industrial site on the A580 East Lancashire Road situated two miles from the M6. The park is already home to a number of occupiers including Target Express, Carlsberg Tetley, Gefco and Hyster.
