Panattoni Park, Swindon: £700m logistics redevelopment

Venture is undertaking development monitoring on Panattoni’s “world class” redevelopment of the former Honda site in South Marston, Swindon.

The 145-hectare / 370-acre site, which is the size of 358 football pitches, was purchased by Panattoni after the motor company ceased production on 30 July 2021 and immediately began decommissioning the site.

The site, which includes almost 4 km of onsite roads and around 1km of water courses, was legally handed over from Honda to Panattoni in Spring 2023. Once the necessary consents have been obtained, Panattoni will start regeneration and redevelopment shortly thereafter.

A Panattoni spokesman said: “The redevelopment of the Honda Manufacturing Plant offers the opportunity to transform the site into a world-class logistics and modern manufacturing centre.”

The new owner is committed to delivering a best-in-class employment park and business community at Panattoni Park Swindon, setting new standards for commercial development with high quality sustainable buildings, supporting facilities and infrastructure, all set within a comprehensively master-planned landscape, which enhances biodiversity and is accessible to employees, visitors, and the local community by sustainable modes of transport.

The site is said to represent one of the most significant employment opportunities in the UK, capable of attracting large- and medium-scale businesses in key growth sectors to Swindon. Around 7,000 new jobs are expected to be created on-site over the next 10 years.

Panattoni is currently carrying out necessary planning work with Swindon Borough Council, with assistance from Honda.

In 2022, Panatttoni submitted plans for the site, which included full planning consent for Unit 5, a logistics buildng with a gross internal area of 2.35m sq. ft, including mezzanine. The developer is also looking to secure outline consent for an additional 4.9m of logistics space on the same site.

The planning application seeks permission to create a logistics and manufacturing centre, develop the site for light industrial, storage, distribution, and general industrial and manufacturing uses, and create a new public park with cycling and pedestrian paths, which link existing routes together.

Venture Project’s team is underway with development monitoring on the site, where it is hoped the state-of-the-art structures will set a new high standard for industrial, storage and distribution spaces. Ten units will be built around the 145-hectare space and a large park with a lagoon will feature at the south of the site.

The project is targeting a BREEAM Excellent Rating to make the facilities as eco-friendly as possible.

Panattoni is the UK’s largest speculative developer, Europe’s largest developer of logistics property, and the world’s largest privately owned industrial developer with clients such as Amazon, UPS Coca-Cola.

To view the plans and any feedback, search for reference S/OUT/22/0284 on the Swindon Borough Council planning page: https://pa1.swindon.gov.uk/publicaccess/