Weerts Group, a Belgian company that specialises in logistics, property and motor-racing, has chosen Suffolk Park for its first ever UK warehouse. Detailed plans have been submitted to West Suffolk Council for an 870’000 sq ft logistics development along the A14 at Bury St Edmunds.

The project will take place across 42 acres of land that Weerts recently acquired from developer Jaynic. The first phase of construction will begin once planning approval is granted, and this will see the construction of 476’000sq ft of new logistics warehouse space. This phase should be completed in summer 2021. The second phase will begin immediately afterwards on the remainder of the facility.

Weerts reportedly chose Suffolk Park due to its access to Felixstowe’s ferry connections with Europe and proximity to the UK’s motorway network. This development represents the largest ever warehouse transaction attempted in the West Suffolk region. Jaynic reported that it will bring both jobs and significant new investment to the region.

Ben Oughton, director of development at Jaynic, said: “This is a very significant deal for Suffolk Park, Suffolk and East Anglia. This transaction with Weerts Group comes swiftly on the heels of the sale of our SP206 unit to Chinese consumer goods importer M H Star and re-affirms the rapidly increasing popularity of the A14 as a logistics location.” “In under six months these two transactions amount to 1.1m sq ft of warehousing and the creation of around 700 jobs for the local economy.”

Pascal Weerts, CEO of Weerts Group, said: “We are delighted to support one of our biggest clients in their international growth and expansion by setting up our first important warehousing facility in the UK, and to have attracted a solid financial partner to secure the funding of the land acquisition and the development (Blackstone).’’ Weerts’ decision to develop at Suffolk Park is the latest in a flurry of activity at the site. Ingredients company Treatt are currently construction a 112’00 sq ft global headquarters at the park, which also being developed by Jaynic. The 114-acre Suffolk Park currently has outline planning consent for a total of 2million sq ft of distribution, industrial and business space.

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