Fareham Council approves Kingsbridge's 'greenest ever' industrial scheme

Commercial property developer Kingsbridge has been granted planning consent for a warehouse and logistics scheme in Segensworth, near Southampton.

Fareham Borough Council has approved the developer’s plans for three units totalling 106,688 square feet, bringing the former Chartwell Court site back into employment use.

In a move which reflects Fareham’s historic roots as a Saxon village, when it was known as Ferne Ham, the new development will be called Ferne Park.

Kingsbridge is targeting the highest possible ‘Outstanding’ BREEAM rating, a nationally-recognised standard which measures the environmental impact of commercial buildings. This will put Ferne Park in the top 3% of BREEAM-accredited industrial developments nationally.

Chichester-based Kingsbridge, working with a joint venture partner, is also targeting net zero embodied carbon for the scheme, an A-rated Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), and a 25% Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) for the site – well over the 10% BNG required by the local authority.

Each unit will be fitted with solar panel arrays on the roof to provide sustainable energy and will have access to its own secure yard with electric vehicle charging points.

Chris Fry, Chief Executive of Kingsbridge, said: “We are proud to bring forward our greenest ever logistics project, and one of the most environmentally sustainable schemes in the region – a highly sustainable, biodiversity net gain positive development that unlocks this previously underused site’s potential to deliver best-in-class facilities for employment use.

“Ferne Park represents our ongoing commitment to the highest levels of sustainability, meeting demand from businesses across the south in a way that delivers prosperity and environmental benefits to our local communities.”

Each of the three units will include its own self-contained secure yard area.

Unit 1 will be detached and provide 18,000 sq ft, while units 2 and 3 may be let together to form an 89,000 sq ft facility, or separately as two units of around 34,000 and 55,000 sq ft.

Ferne Park, at Barnes Wallis Road, is strategically positioned at the centre of the Segensworth Industrial Estate, close to Junction 9 of the M27 and with excellent transport links to Portsmouth and Southampton and across the Solent Corridor.

It is also close to Concorde Park, a multi-let industrial development previously built, let and sold by Kingsbridge.

• For more information see www.kingsbridgeestates.co.uk