Development of a multi-million pound speculative warehouse on Swindon’s outskirts is to kick-start the town’s latest greenfield industrial park.
The 217,000 sq ft scheme by national logistics developer DB Symmetry will be the first large industrial building developed east of the A419 and south of the A420 and will trigger the town’s long-awaited Eastern Villages expansion. 
It will also allow Swindon to build on its reputation as a logistics hub – the town has for decades been a magnet for distribution companies due to its excellent motorway links but is running out of the type of large warehouse buildings needed by logistics firms.
Northampton-based DB Symmetry’s 96-acre development – called Symmetry Park – will be developed next to the A420 just south of Honda’s giant Swindon plant and four miles north of the M4. The whole site, pictured, has planning consent for 1.3m sq ft of warehousing and industrial space.
DB Symmetry is looking to start on site next month with completion in December. Joint agents for the scheme are Colliers International and Savills.
Tim Davies, head of Colliers’ South West office, said: “Swindon has already attracted many global companies, and with rents and labour costs being so competitive compared to other locations we anticipate lots of interest for the building.”
Rob Cleeves of Savills added: “Large-scale logistics buildings in excess of 100,000 sq ft are a key part of the Swindon market and have accounted for 35% of take up over the last five years. 2016 was a record year with four deals over 200,000 sq ft.”
The 2017 Industrial and Logistic rents map from Colliers International showed that Swindon experienced the biggest surge in rents for large warehouses in the last year with prices rising by 20%.
Swindon Council’s cabinet member for the economy, regeneration and skills, Cllr Garry Perkins, said it was exciting to see work start on site at the largest of Swindon’s new development areas.
“The New Eastern Villages will deliver about 8,000 homes in the next 10 years, and Symmetry Park will provide jobs and supporting infrastructure that will benefit existing and new residents.
“The warehouse is in a key location with direct access on to the A420, and will benefit from being right next to the New Eastern Villages District Centre which will provide additional employment, retail, leisure and healthcare facilities along with additional transport infrastructure.”
The warehouse scheme forms part of 800,000 sq ft of speculative development which DB Symmetry has committed to across the UK this year with other sites in Blyth, Middlewich, Banbury and Bicester.
DB Symmetry development director Christian Matthews said: “We have identified strategic sites throughout the UK, where there is a severe shortage of logistics space available.
“Having assessed the market, the decision to build speculatively in Swindon without having identified an end user was an easy one to make; supply levels are at an all-time low and with demand ever increasing we believe it is the optimum time to press the button.”
