McLaren completes 100,000 sq ft World Freight Terminal expansion

The first phase of a 325,000 sq ft extension to Columbia Threadneedle’s Manchester Airport industrial scheme has wrapped.

McLaren Construction has delivered three units spanning 100,000 sq ft on the corner of Avro Way and Pinfold Lane within the World Freight Terminal.

The largest of the units is 36,000 sq ft. The two smaller units provide 27,000 sq ft and 21,000 sq ft.

The warehouses have been constructed to achieve a minimum BREEAM Excellent rating and an EPC A rating, part of Columbia Threadneedle’s ambition to have its UK real estate portfolio achieve net zero carbon by 2050.

Gary Cramp, managing director of McLaren Construction for the Midlands and the North, said: We are delighted to have delivered the first phase of our client’s vision for the World Freight Terminal.

“The high-specification units are ideally suited to a wide range of sectors including environmentally conscious businesses, with unrivalled international transport links to the UK, Europe, and rest of the world.”

Workman is the project manager, Abacus is the quantity surveyor, RPS is the architect, and Aecom is the structural engineer and MEP consultant.

Columbia Threadneedle is planning to build another 235,000 sq ft of logistics space across seven units nearby.

The World Freight Terminal, located off Junction six of the M56, currently comprises 650,000 sq. ft. of logistics space in total across 57 acres, providing a range of freight, transit, and integrator solutions.

Threadneedle acquired most of Manchester Airport’s non-core property portfolio, including WFT, for £380m in August 2020.