Plans for warehouses for a major Chinese e-commerce firm and an apprentice training centre next to the A50 have been hailed as “huge for South Derbyshire”.
At a South Derbyshire District Council meeting this week (Tuesday, 10 February), councillors unanimously approved plans for huge warehouses and a training centre at Dove Valley Park, Foston, next to the A50.
The scheme was a tweaked version of those approved last year to gear the development to the direct needs of the unnamed major Chinese e-commerce company.
Council officials told the meeting that the Chinese firm aims to create between 575 and 700 full-time jobs on the site through two warehouses measuring 37,000 square metres and 13,000 square metres respectively.
This would include 329 parking spaces, with the larger warehouse having 42 lorry docking bays and the smaller warehouse having a further 14 docking bays.
An innovation centre, to be operated by Burton and South Derbyshire College, would be responsible for training young apprentices.
Officials told the meeting that the college backed the plans and was looking forward to a “pipeline of future talent”, hailing it as an “exciting future opportunity”.
Marc Freeman, director of Dove Valley Park, owned by Clowes Developments, which is run by Derby County owner David Clowes, told the meeting: “This is an exciting opportunity for South Derbyshire to secure much-needed jobs. This development complements existing businesses and will secure significant benefits.”
This development is said to be the final phase of Dove Valley Park.
Cllr Amy Wheelton said: “This is setting the bar high for this type of application. It is absolutely brilliant. I am most excited about the innovation centre. This is huge for South Derbyshire. I am assuming it will be an engineering centre of excellence, and we need more of that.”
Cllr Julie Patten said: “It is exciting to see such a brilliant scheme come into South Derbyshire. I ask that you set up a community scheme with Foston and the surrounding area to be good neighbours.”
The council was previously told there is a significant shortfall in large-scale, high-quality warehouse space in the region, with companies looking to have bases nearby due to its central location and proximity to the freight-centric East Midlands Airport.
Council officials, recommending approval, had written: “The application proposes to develop commercial facilities on land to the east of Dove Valley Park. The region is recognised nationally as a key logistics location and Dove Valley Park as one of only two sites capable of delivering new high-quality development to provide for the growing need of the logistics sector in the Derby and South Derbyshire area.”
Documents submitted to the council detail that the prospective client “is a leading Chinese cross-border e-commerce enterprise with a well-established international presence and a long-term strategy to expand its operations within the UK, particularly in South Derbyshire and the wider East Midlands”.
The documents add: “The company intends to invest in the region on a sustained basis, supported by growing demand within its UK distribution network.
“At this stage, the identity of the end user cannot be disclosed, as commercial negotiations remain ongoing and are subject to confidentiality obligations.
“In relation to employment and job creation, the occupier’s operational model is anticipated to generate a significant number of full-time positions across warehouse operations, supervisory roles and administrative functions.”
The Chinese firm would join MEG – which provides soft drinks for Lidl, Muller, JCB, Kuehne and Nagel, and Futuba – on the 200-acre site.
Retail estate agent Knight Frank said over the summer that “Chinese firms have been actively acquiring space in the UK. Chinese e-commerce platforms are scaling up their operations in the UK market and expanding their UK-based supply chains and stock holdings in order to offer same- or next-day delivery options”.
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