LOC8 business park phase two nearing completion

The Leader of Maidstone Brough Council Cllr Stuart Jeffery has visited the LOC8 business park just off junction 8 of the M20 to see progress on the latest phase of development.

The mixed use business park, developed by Clearbell Property Partners III LP, (Clearbell) a fund managed by real estate fund management and advisory business Clearbell Capital LLP, is suitable for both small and medium sized businesses, with room for more than 1,000 employees.

Customers such as Zehnder, Hitachi Construction, Edmundson Electrical, and AT&T have already joined the scheme in phase 1, with Huws Gray, Nivek Catering Supplies and others joining in phase 2.

Tenants also include NRS Healthcare (image),  a leading provider of mobility equipment, daily living aids, services designed to support independent living an in-house team of Occupational Therapists.

NRS offers integrated community equipment (ICES), Technology Enabled Care (TECS), clinical services, wheelchair cervices and daily living aids.NRS will soon open its new flagship service centre to serve the Kent region in early November, supporting more than 51,000 service users in the region.

The new Kent Community Equipment Service Centre is part of a major investment programme by NRS.  It will bring together all the company’s operations under one roof in the region and will provide safe and efficient storage, prompt equipment repair, a training centre, customer support and state-of-the-art recycling and cleaning facilities.

LOC8 is already providing many engineering, logistics and manufacturing job opportunities as well as office-based roles, offering good local jobs. The scheme recently won ‘Best Overall Scheme-Multi-Let Industrial Estate’ at the 2024 IAS awards.

Cllr Stuart Jeffery visited the site to see how it is progressing, he said: “It is interesting to meet some of the tenants who are using LOC8 and hear how beneficial it is to their businesses.

“I am particularly pleased to hear that LOC8 has been developed to a high sustainability specification. The use of the latest technologies is minimising material, energy and water use, and reducing CO2 emissions.”

Phase 2 offers brand-new BREEAM ‘Excellent’ light industrial and logistics units ranging in size with a flexible and energy-efficient operational environment. All units are EPC A or A+ and highly insulated. In addition, extensive solar PV have been installed, LED lighting with PIR sensors, high efficiency office heating and cooling, water saving sanitary ware and 20% electric vehicle charging points.

Stuart continues: “It was good to see the businesses that are helping to improve the health and sustainability of our communities while providing fulfilling employment. The site is bringing together many different areas of expertise and is offering sustainable working which is very inspiring.”

LOC8 is designed to enhance nature and biodiversity with extensive planting, new ponds and several protected areas for nature to thrive. This also creates an attractive working area for staff and businesses.

The site is also connected to the nearby Maidstone town centre by a new electric bus service and cycle lane, created to reduce car usage in the area.

The LOC8 business park has most of its units already exchanged or under offer. With excellent public transport and road links, it is well placed to service Europe’s largest consumer market, London and the South East, with nearly 21 million consumers living within three hours’ of the site. With the Thames and Channel ports, plus the Eurotunnel, close by, global markets a short leap away.

LOC8 has been made possible through its allocation in the Maidstone Borough Council Local Plan and supported by the Council’s Economic Development Strategy. It is located at a sensitive location within the setting of the Kent Downs National Landscape Area and so the challenge has been to minimise the landscape impact whilst ensuring a high-quality development suitable for modern business needs, which has been achieved through the planning process.

For more information please visit https://loc8maidstone.co.uk/