North Wales has long been a FIREM focus when it comes to our property portfolio. The area’s prime connectivity to England and Scotland, as well as the rest of Wales, places it in a very strategic position for efficient national and international links - and our tenants are keen to take advantage of that.
As one of the largest industrial areas in Europe, Wrexham Industrial Estate in North Wales is at the very heart of our growth strategy. Already home to more than 340 businesses employing 10,000+ people, the estate makes a significant and growing contribution to the UK economy boasting sectors including high tech manufacturing, biotechnology, food, automotive and engineering.
A commitment to Wrexham’s economy
Last year we embarked upon a new build industrial development plan that saw us conclude the year with a 2.2m sq ft presence at the 550 hectare estate, following the acquisition of a further 47 acres of land.
This was a critical milestone in our provision of high quality commercial space in the area, having long been one of the estate’s largest landlords. It was also a huge vote of confidence from us in Wrexham as a place to invest and in which to do business.
Breaking new ground
Our progress in the creation of 38 acres of new build commercial space at the estate had already been ramping up throughout the year. We broke ground on three new sites in the summer in the presence of Sarah Atherton MP and were joined by a number of local dignitaries and stakeholders to celebrate our growing commitment to the area.
The three sites comprise a 25,000 sq ft unit on Clywedog Road North (unit 50b), a 45,000 sq ft unit on Clywedog Road East (unit 72b) and 11 units ranging from 800 to 6,000 sq ft at Wrexham Point on Clywedog Road North. All sites are approaching completion in late spring with the steel frame and cladding in place for units 50b and 72b and the groundworks complete at Wrexham Point.
We’re now actively taking reservations for these impressive spaces, which are part of seven new build developments in the pipeline at Wrexham Industrial Estate.
Growing our portfolio
Our latest strategic employment site at Kingmoor Park is set to accommodate 400,000 sq ft of new build storage and distribution space when complete. Consultation will commence next year ahead of a planning submission and construction will begin thereafter. We also recently concluded a consultation process for The Bridgeway Centre, where we hope to create 120,000 sq ft of commercial space should we achieve a successful planning decision.
Elsewhere on Clywedog Road South, we have outline planning permission for 97,000 sq ft of business-to-business use in addition to the potential for 50,000 sq ft of new build industrial space on Clywedog Road South.
But our presence at Wrexham Industrial Estate is not solely limited to new build development. Last year we also extended our service offer to provide long and short term warehousing and storage solutions through a partnership with F Lloyd (Penley) Ltd. This family-run warehousing and distribution company has been established for more than 40 years, operating from a 833,000 sq ft facility on Bridge Road South. Furthermore, our asset management portfolio has grown following the acquisition of 21,000 sq ft of multi-let industrial units on Bryn Lane.
The forecast for Wrexham
Our future in Wrexham will see the provision of a first-class selection of roadside retail, leisure, industrial and trade counter space for thriving UK businesses.
It is a mark of how well the industrial sector is performing, as well as the increasing popularity of Wrexham as a place to do business, that we’re already experiencing high demand for all our properties here. As occupancy is now bouncing back in other markets and geographies post-pandemic, the interest in our high quality, fit for purpose industrial units at Wrexham Industrial Estate is only growing further.
Click to find out more information about FI Real Estate Management’s portfolio in Wrexham.