Two major new regional distribution centres are to be built in Bedford Borough for popular nationwide retailers which will create an estimated 1,400 new jobs for the area.
Bedford Borough Council worked closely with land owners Gallagher Estates in developing the opportunity, sourcing and facilitating their investment to the employment area of Wixams, off the A6 to the south of the Borough.
Planning permission has been issued for B&M to construct a one million sqft distribution centre which will create around 1,000 new jobs, while Aldi’s new 800,000 sqft distribution centre will create around 400 new jobs. Both units will become the largest warehouse and distribution centres in the area, surpassing the current largest at Marsh Leys, where 690,000 sqft is occupied by Argos.
This development represents the Council’s ambitions as outlined in the recently agreed Bedford Borough Growth Plan 2018-2022, to promote the local economy and make Bedford Borough a great place to do business, increasing the profile of the Borough by being open for business and taking advantage of our excellent transport links.
Mayor Dave Hodgson said “Attracting new businesses and new jobs is a key priority for the council, and Aldi and B&M’s investment is another major vote of confidence in Bedford Borough. These two major facilities will provide a variety of different employment opportunities amongst the 1,400 new jobs. Through the Council’s Jobs Hub, we will make sure that local residents can take advantage of the investment and the jobs being created.”
Simon Arora, Chief Executive of B&M Retail Ltd said “Our continued nationwide growth has allowed us to invest approximately £100m in what will be one of the largest distribution facilities in the UK. We are delighted to be coming to Bedford and will be recruiting in 2019 as the building approaches completion.”
Matthew Barnes, CEO - Aldi UK and IRE said: “The excellent transport links and infrastructure in the area made it an obvious choice for our new distribution base as we move towards our long-term ambition of 1,000 UK stores by 2022. We look forward to starting work on the site in due course, and will keep the community updated on developments and recruitment opportunities.”
