Matalan HQ design unveiled
This is the first look at the design by Manchester-based architects Fletcher-Rae of retailer Matalan's new 132,000 sq ft head office proposed for the Galaxy site in Knowsley Industrial Park.
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A pension fund associated with Matalan bought the 400,000 sq ft Galaxy shed and 46 acres of surrounding land at the former Petrolite site off Acornfield Road in late 2010 for a reported £16m from Irish investors.
Matalan's board confirmed its plans to move from Skelmersdale to Knowsley in briefings held in May this year.
A detailed planning application has now been submitted for a 132,000 sq ft bespoke headquarters office development and 200,000 sq ft extension to the distribution facility by Maro Developments, the Cheadle Hulme-based property company set up by Matalan founder John Hargreaves. The industrial extension would house training and conference facilities and a 'mock shop'.
The application describe offices over three floors designed to BREEAM 'very good' and incorporating a sustainable technologies for power, heating, cooling and opportunities to link into a possible future on-site energy generation facility in a separate building as [part of the second phase. The second phase is 102,000 sq ft of industrial in three buildings.
Andrew Rae, managing director of Fletcher-Rae, said: "We're really pleased to have been appointed by Maro Developments, who we have a long standing working relationship with, to work on this high profile prestigious project. It has given us the opportunity of demonstrating our design capability and adding to an expanding portfolio of diverse projects. We look forward to the scheme starting on site later this year subject to a successful planning outcome."
The project team includes JMP on transport, Hannan Associates for energy and utilities, Capita Symonds for acoustic survey advice, Curtins Consulting on flood risk and TEP for landscape design.
Matalan and Maro were unavailable for comment.
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