PLP portfolio grows with addition of Sonae Industria site in Knowsley

PLP has added to its national portfolio of logistics sites with the purchase by The Peel Group of the 45 acre former Sonae Industria (UK) Ltd site on Knowsley Industrial Park for an undisclosed sum. The site has been renamed Knowsley 700 on account of its location and the fact that the site can accommodate up to 700,000 sq. ft. which could bring up to 1,000 jobs to the area depending on the occupier. It is the first addition to the PLP portfolio which was launched at MIPIM in March.

The site, which is ready for immediate development, is in a well-known industrial area in Merseyside benefiting from outstanding transport links being close to rail terminals and the Port of Liverpool which includes Liverpool2, the new deepwater container terminal. The site is also in close proximity to Junctions 4 and 5 of the M57 motorway.

There is a 15,000 sq. ft. office unit on the level site and an 8MVA power supply are also available.

James Whittaker, Development Director at Peel Group said, “The Knowsley 700 site benefits from a great communications network in close proximity, making this an ideal location for many logistics/distribution companies looking for a base in the North West. We will now begin actively marketing the new site under the PLP umbrella.

“This is another prime example of PLP’s investment commitments in the Atlantic Gateway partnership and we hope to be able to deliver further job opportunities in the near future in the region.”

Lambert Smith Hampton acted on behalf of Peel Group and JLL acted for Sonae Industria (UK) Ltd.

Andrew Lynn, associate director, industrial and logistics at JLL in Manchester, said: “As 45 acres of prime development land in a key industrial corridor, we received strong interest from a range of developers and investors. The sale to Peel Group has achieved good value for the site and the site now sits in the hands of one of the country’s most forward-thinking developers.”