With COVID-19, Brexit, new technology, skills shortages and other disruptive forces driving change in the way goods move across borders, through the country and in the supply chain, the logistics sector of the economy has never been more important to the UK. Demand is currently very strong and suitable premises are in short supply.

Brockeridge Business Park is strategically located with immediate access onto the national motorway network. It is an entirely suitable and accessible location for one of the fastest growing sectors of the British economy, whilst attracting and securing significant benefits and job creation for the Three Counties region, the economies of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire and for the local Tewkesbury Borough economy in a key sector identified for growth by UK national government and the Gloucestershire GFirst Local Enterprise Partnership.

The GFirst Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) considers that the Gloucestershire economy has a high economic activity and employment rate with good access to the national motorway network. The export potential and land availability near the M5 growth zone is noted as a significant economic opportunity for the county.

The biggest barriers to the economy are recognised by the LEP as being certain highway network constraints, an under exploited export potential, the pockets of the county with persistent deprivation and high unemployment and barriers to services in rural areas.

The major constraints on the Gloucestershire highway network are noted by the LEP as being M5, Junction 10 (Uckington and north Cheltenham), M5, J9/A46 (Tewkesbury/Ashchurch), the A417 ‘missing link’ south-east of Cheltenham, A40 between Cheltenham and Gloucester and to the west of the Severn and the Cheltenham / Gloucester centres. The location of Brockeridge Business Park therefore makes use of a strategically unconstrained and under-utilised access point onto the national motorway network at M50, J1 (Twyning) and M5, J8 (Strensham).

One of the greatest future threats to the local economy identified by the LEP is the lack of suitable premises and insufficient number of attractive development sites to accommodate high value businesses (such as those in storage and distribution).

The location that Brockeridge Business Park offers takes advantage of an unconstrained and under-utilised motorway network location with the M5 offering access to the Midlands, North and South-West and the M50 offering access to South Wales. The expanded business park will accommodate a range of suitable, modern premises for a diverse range of enterprises, including office space and logistics and distribution warehousing.

The LEP considers the M5 Growth Zone to be a key component of its economic strategy, the Growth Zone seeks to identify and secure the availability of quality employment land in proximity to the M5 motorway corridor that is attractive to business and has excellent connectivity throughout Gloucestershire and to the rest of the UK. The importance of the motorway location in this context is significant.

All over the UK and particularly in Gloucestershire, many projects have materialised which focus employment growth on motorway junctions. Notably, the planned growth of Ashchurch at M5, Junction 9 for both employment and housing, the consented Javelin Business Park featuring significant logistics business space at Junction 12 to the south of Gloucester and the proposed Forest Green Rovers Eco-Park stadium at Junction 13 in Stroud District which has also recently been consented.

The UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) considers that the Gloucestershire LEP area is ‘under-represented’ in terms of transport, storage and wholesale industries. In terms of Gross Value Added (GVA) and employment growth, the GFirst Lep now considers transport and distribution to be one of the fastest growing and largest sectors in the county.

The vision of the Joint Core Strategy adopted in 2017 for Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury was to be ‘recognised nationally as enjoying a vibrant, competitive economy with increased job opportunities and a strong reputation for being an attractive place in which to invest’.

There is a substantial requirement for employment land as identified in various Gloucestershire Local Plans. The Joint Core Strategy (JCS) for Gloucester, Cheltenham and Tewkesbury set out a provision of 192 hectares over the period from 2011 to 2031.

The emerging Tewkesbury Borough Plan recognises the significant undeveloped capacity of employment land within the Borough. It is understood that there has been a severe shortfall in delivery of employment land within Tewkesbury Borough from the start of the plan period in 2011 illustrating a pressing need to bring forward further land for employment development to help meet the wider JCS target.

Particularly, the Tewkesbury Borough Employment Land and Economic Development Strategy Review noted an ‘extremely strong level of latent demand for office and industrial warehousing space in the Borough’ with most enquiries for B8 space often between 40,000 sqft and 100,000 sqft. This review noted that strong demand existed for premises with good road access. It also noted that there was a significant proportion of the business community with plans to move out of the Borough with many citing a need to relocate to larger premises to facilitate expansion.

Tewkesbury Borough Council already recognises Brockeridge Business Park as a Rural Business Centre, however an opportunity now exists to develop the site to become a major employment site in the Borough and strategically for the wider county and region.