Asda selects Kingsway
Rochdale Council has announced the retail giant is planning to open a distribution centre on Wilson Bowden Developments' Kingsway Business Park.
Asda is to submit a planning application later in August to the council's planning sub committee to develop a 44-acre site on the 420-acre park.
If planning permission is granted Asda hopes to have the facility open by the end of 2012.
The development would include almost 500,000 sq ft of warehousing and offices, along with a 133,500 sq ft on-site waste recycling centre. The facility will handle up to three million cases of chilled frozen food a week as well as other food products.
Asda currently has 24 distribution centres servicing its stores across the UK.
Ant Everett, head of network development for Asda distribution, said: "Since the successful acquisition by Asda of the Netto business in 2010, the company has identified a shortfall in capacity in the North West and Yorkshire in its specialist warehouse provision. We need a new warehouse in the North West to service our growing number of stores and Kingsway's location and the fact that it has direct access to the M62 makes it ideal to service the whole of the north of England.
"It will provide up to 800 jobs when it's fully operational and it will be state-of-the-art. We aim to make it one of the most environmentally sustainable developments of its kind in the UK and it would be a flagship development for us, leading the way for ASDA worldwide."
Asda has reached an agreement with Wilson Bowden Developments for retail company to construct its own facility.
John Hudson, chief executive of Rochdale Development Agency, added: "This is a multi-million pound proposed investment and if the plans are given the go-ahead the centre will be the second largest occupier on the Park after JD Sports. It will mark another significant milestone in the development of Kingsway."
Asda will be consulting with residents living near Kingsway Business Park in the coming weeks. Officers from Rochdale Development Agency and the council will also be on hand to answer residents' queries.
Other occupiers on Kingsway include Vindon Scientific, a supplier in the pharmaceutical industry, and Takeuchi Manufacturing.
CR Laurence, an American-based supplier to the glazing, stone and architectural industries, is also based on the business park, along with EON, the contractors for the Oldham and Rochdale street lighting PFI, British Millerain, manufacturers of textiles for the military, health and leisure industries,
JD Sports will soon occupy over 800,000 sq ft of office and distribution centre space.
P3 Property Consultants and Jones Lang LaSalle are joint agents on Kingsway.
