Amazon is set to open a 1.4 million-square-foot robotics-enabled fulfilment centre at Symmetry Park Biggleswade in Bedfordshire.
Park owner Tritax Big Box Developments exclusively confirmed to CoStar News that it has submitted plans for Phase 4 of the scheme, after finishing practical completion of Phase 3, which delivered 830,000 square feet for tenants such as Warburtons.
Phase 4 will comprise four new B8 logistics units with a combined gross internal area of circa 1.79 million square feet. Tritax Big Box Developments said its latest application is backed by an "occupier-led agreement for the largest of the four units", measuring around 1.41 million square feet. The remaining units will provide a combined 375,700 square feet of Grade A logistics space.
Although the developer was unable to confirm the identity of the occupier, documents submitted on Central Bedfordshire Council's planning portal last month name Amazon as the "committed future occupier of Unit 14", the largest warehouse in the plans. Logistics Matters first reported on Amazon's involvement.
The papers show that Tritax Big Box Developments will deliver an Amazon Robotics Sortable facility capable of housing 1,900 employees, subject to planning, with the online retailer expected to acquire the freehold of the property, providing supply chain protection and financial benefits.
Phase 4 has an estimated construction spend of £300 million, according to the planning documents.
Jake Howard, associate development director at Tritax Big Box Developments, said in a statement about Phase 4: "Submitting our planning application for Phase 4 marks another important milestone for Symmetry Park Biggleswade, building on the momentum we’ve created across the first three phases.
"Securing occupier backing for the largest of the four units is a strong endorsement of this location and reflects the scale of investment being made here, with this latest phase set to deliver the same high-quality, sustainable, design-led distribution space that has defined the scheme to date."
Amazon is no stranger to central Bedfordshire, where it already operates facilities in Brogborough, Dunstable and Houghton Regis. Its potential opening of a state-of-the-art facility in Biggleswade reflects efforts by the firm to ramp up its use of robotics to save on costs.
According to a Morgan Stanley report published last February, the technology could save the retailer between $4.5 billion to $10 billion a year by 2030, if it can fulfil 30% to 40% of orders.
Amazon has been increasing its warehouse space in the UK following over the past couple of years following a dry period where it paused its real estate activities in the UK after a leasing boom during the pandemic.
In April, Mirastar completed the letting of its big-box Bulk 250 warehouse in West Thurrock to a third-party logistics business, understood to be Amazon, following a refurbishment. The ecommerce giant is also understood to have taken a 200,000-square-foot facility in Crawley during the same month, agreeing a 10-year lease with landlord Panattoni.
Amazon was approached for comment.