UK-based real estate investment trust SEGRO will build the first multi-storey industrial project on the Slough Trading Estate.
Plans have been approved for the development, said SEGRO.
Known as SEGRO V-Park Leigh Road, the seven-storey building will provide industrial workspace for a range of businesses, including small enterprises and start-ups.
It is anticipated that construction of SEGRO V-Park Leigh Road will begin in 2023 as it becomes the second urban multi-storey development scheme in the UK announced by SEGRO, following the release of plans for SEGRO V-Park Grand Union in Park Royal, which is being delivered as a joint venture with St George.
The scheme represents the next phase of the evolution of the Slough Trading Estate and will be tailored to support the operation and growth of an anticipated 50 – 70 SME occupiers and providing almost 400 jobs.
SEGRO V-Park Leigh Road will be located at the heart of the Slough Trading Estate, transforming an obsolete brownfield site into what will become the Trading Estate’s tallest building.
Serviced by two goods lifts and a series of passenger lifts, SEGRO V-Park Leigh Road will provide over 117,000 sq ft of high-quality workshop and studio space. The building will feature meeting rooms, co-working areas as well as a wide range of amenities, including a café and welfare facilities for showering and changing.
In line with the company’s Responsible SEGRO commitment to champion low carbon growth, the building will feature the latest in sustainable features, including a green roof and solar panels to generate power. More than 10 per cent of car parking spaces will have electric vehicle charging points, and there will also be a rainwater harvesting facility.
Green living walls will be developed, which will grow native plants and attract insect species as well as helping to purify the air. It will also be home to the Trading Estate’s first micro forest – a rich and diversly planted miniature forest to help promote pollinators such as butterflies and bees, beetles, snails and amphibians.
James Craddock, Managing Director, Thames Valley at SEGRO, said: “Throughout its 100-year history, the Slough Trading Estate has continually evolved to meet the ever-changing needs of the companies that call it their home. The Trading Estate is a hugely popular choice for businesses to be based. With a lack of available land to expand outwards to accommodate this demand, this innovative development marks an important step-change in how we can intensify space vertically to facilitate investment, employment opportunities, business rate contributions and economic growth in Slough. It also ensures that the Trading Estate remains the long-term home for a diverse range of businesses and sectors.”
The development will become a hub for small and start-up businesses to thrive, encompassing small units in a range of configurations. SEGRO is also planning to help customers by establishing a series of business support events that will provide advice on matters such as finance, recruitment, innovation and legislation, to support the needs of their customers and to help grow their businesses.
