Plans for a £700m redevelopment of the former Honda factory site in Swindon have been approved.
Panattoni, Europe’s largest developer of new build industrial and logistics facilities, will look to begin building 10 new warehouse buildings on the former car production site, after its plans were waved through by Swindon Borough Council on Tuesday evening (April 11). The company’s development director James Watson told the council’s planning committee its proposals would directly create 7,000 jobs, plus 5,000 more “spin-off” roles, according to the Local Democracy Reporting service.
Mr Watson said: “The development will add a value of £295m per annum, or £1.2bn over the first decade, to the local economy. There will be 7,000 jobs created on the site – at its peak Honda employed 5,000 people.”
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According to the plans, the new units will be of differing sizes, and could be used for a range of purposes from storage to distribution. Some of the buildings are earmarked for edge of site, located just off the A419 and a couple of miles from the M4, and a large park with a lagoon will feature at the south of the development.
Members of the planning committee passed the plans by 12 votes to one abstention in favour of the scheme. Panattoni has previously redeveloped the nearby Symmetry Park logistics site in South Marston, and built the huge Amazon fulfilment centre, close to the former Honda site off Highworth Road.
The Japanese carmaker confirmed it had sold off the 370-acre site to Panattoni in 2021, as part of a huge restructure of the company's global operations. The plant's closure after more than 35 years of production in Wiltshire, saw the loss of around 3,500 jobs.
Panattoni previously said: “We are committed to delivering a best-in-class employment park and business community at Panattoni Park Swindon, setting new standards for commercial development with high-quality sustainable buildings, supporting facilities and infrastructure, all set within a landscape which enhances biodiversity and is accessible to employees, visitors and the local community by sustainable modes of transport.”
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