Spades in at £125m Bardon industrial and logistics park
Two large industrial and logistics warehouses will be built in Leicestershire by 2027, after contractors moved onto site to begin ground works this week.
BlueEarth Construction has now started on site access and infrastructure works for the third phase of the Mountpark Bardon scheme, which will see a further 947,650 sq ft of I&L space built on an 80-acre site on the outskirts of Coalville.
Planning permission for the Bardon III development was secured by former owners Mountpark, before the site was snapped up by Firethorn in March this year. The reserved matters application put forward by Mountpark in 2024 included two buildings, of 535,955 sq ft and 411,695 sq ft respectively, which Firethorn says will be built on a speculative and build-to-suit basis.
Firethorn expects to inject £125 million into the 80.2-acre site.
“Breaking ground marks a significant step in the development process and a chance to provide recognition to those who played a role in the project coming forward,” said James Sanders, head of industrial and logistics at Firethorn.
“Bardon is one of the UK’s most established and sought-after logistics locations, with a strong supply of local labour and direct connectivity to the strategic network making it ideally placed for leading occupiers operating national and international supply chains.”
Work is now under way on Firethorn’s Bardon 3 in Leicestershire. Credit: Firethorn
Two earlier phases of the scheme, built out by Mountpark, are now home to Amazon, DHL, Eddie Stobart, VF, Vistry, and Pharmacy2U.
The recent ‘breaking ground’ ceremony was attended by key local members who played influential roles in seeing the project realised, including the Leader of Leicestershire County Council, Dan Harrison alongside Rebecca Henson, head of the growth service at Leicestershire County Council, and Chris Brown, assistant director of planning and regeneration for Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council.
Cllr Dan Harrison, leader of Leicestershire County Council, added: “We’re working hard to build the Leicestershire of the future, with prosperity, jobs and economic growth at the heart.
“This £125m investment is significant, offering opportunities for big companies to set up shop, as well as a 37-acre country park and over 2km of walking routes.
“Bardon is a top UK location for logistics. We really are leading the way in Leicestershire and we’re shouting from the rooftops that we’re open for business.”
The new development targets practical completion in late 2027 and will deliver a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating with net-zero carbon in construction.
