EXCLUSIVE: Reserved matters planning win for Panattoni Park Swindon warehouses
Reserved matters planning has been granted for three warehouses at Panattoni’s 7.2 million ft2 Panattoni Park Swindon scheme and construction is expected to be announced shortly.
By Liza Helps, Property Editor, Logistics Matters
THE DEVELOPER secured reserved matters planning on Units 1, 3 and 4 totaling 1.9726 million ft2 in February on sites in phases 1B and 1C of the 360-acre scheme which will see the redevelopment of the former Honda UK Manufacturing operation which closed in 2021.
Panattoni has been heavily flagging ‘exciting’ announcements regarding Panattoni Park Swindon in the second quarter of this year, which could herald the speculative development of Units 1 and 4 on the scheme as well as the name of the occupier and commencement of construction for Unit 3 which Logistics Matters exclusively announced as being pre-let subject to planning in December last year.
The flagged announcements come as the developer seeks to amend the phasing schedule of the scheme to allow it to incorporate Units 1, 3 and 4 into a single first phase alongside Unit 5 – its 1.237 million ft2 mega shed which it has full planning to develop. When Panattoni originally sought planning in 2022 this facility was designed to meet the requirements for a known occupier ensuring its early delivery within the overall site’s phasing to secure early inward investment and new jobs, including during the construction and occupation phases.
However, commercial negotiations with that occupier, have been up in the air for some time. In Swindon Council’s planning committee report in December 2023, it noted that Panattoni had informed the council that there is no contractual certainty that the proposed occupier at the time of the original hybrid application, would take Unit 5.
In its covering letter looking to amend the approved phasing scheme the developer argued that doing so would ‘enable greater flexibility for development to be progressed earlier and across a wider area of the site than provided for on the approved phasing plan, which currently identifies Phase 1a as the first phase and comprising the delivery of Unit 5.
“The phasing plan is therefore proposed to be amended and simplified such that ‘Phase 1’ now comprises the land identified as Phase 1A, Phase 1B and Phase 1C.
“Providing for this greater flexibility on the phasing plan is required due to market demand/potential occupier interest meaning that Panattoni is as likely to be progressing ‘Unit 5’ as a ‘first phase’ of development as it is to be progressing Reserved Matters Applications/development on the parts of Site currently identified as being Phase 1B and Phase 1C on the approved Parameter Plan.”
Hybrid planning permission was granted in December 2023 for full planning for the demolition of the former Honda buildings as well as the construction of Unit 5, the 1.247 million ft2 mega shed.
Letting agents on the scheme are Avison Young and DTRE.
