Gazeley and Land Securities Plan 3.4M-SF Milton Keynes Scheme

LONDON-An outline planning application has been submitted for one of the UK‘s biggest-ever distribution parks on the eastern outskirts of Milton Keynes. Gazeley–the property arm of Asda Wal-Mart–and Land Securities have applied for consent to develop 3.39 million sf on the 241 acre SED Showground site, located on the A421 near the M1 motorway.

The scheme, called Nova MK, would provide 2.54 million sf of new distribution warehousing and 850,000 sf of general manufacturing space. It would be developed in phases, working back from the A421 frontage, with a minimum plot size of five acres.

The developers point out that the supply of land in Milton Keynes suitable for large-scale distribution uses fell from 57 acres in 1997 to just 10 acres in 1998 and hit zero in January 2003. The showground site was recently allocated for “large footprint employment uses” in the Milton Keynes Local Plan.

A conditional outline consent could be granted in spring 2004 which would enable the construction of the highway infrastructure and the first unit to start on site later in 2004.