Chancerygate has achieved practical completion of Phase 2 of its scheme at Apollo Park Yate, near Bristol, handing over a bespoke warehouse and office facility, to national timber panel import and distribution business, James Latham PLC.
The stand-alone warehouse comprising 55,500 sq ft built to James Latham’s requirement was pre-sold and completed the 155,000 sq ft estate across 3 acres, constructed in two phases. The project is a good example of where Chancerygate worked with their client structuring a transaction to suit the end user. Part of Chancerygate’s role included obtaining a satisfactory planning consent and negotiating with the local authority to lift restrictions under their planning policy. In addition, Chancerygate worked with James Latham to accommodate various changes they required during the construction programme and to allow for early access.
Securing planning consent was a major challenge given the Local Planning Authority’s policy restricted new B8 warehousing units over 10,000 sq ft to only 3 key locations – none of which were Yate. Through a combination of lobbying and negotiation with the Economic Development Office and working with James Latham, Chancerygate constructed a case that centered around retaining/creating local jobs to negate the potential losses to the local economy. The scheme proposed by Chancerygate achieved planning consent without objections.
During the construction phase, Chancerygate’s in-house project management team displayed flexibility to ensure that client’s specialist contractors could gain access to carry out essential works to the warehouse prior to practical completion being granted. This enabled James Latham to decrease their fit-out period by several weeks, bringing forward the operational date of their facility. The new facility replaces James Latham’s redundant 1970’s accommodation in Yate at the same time creating efficiencies in their working practices and allows the company to expand their product distribution over a wide geographical area including the whole of the South West and South Wales.
Andy Duffins, Operations Director for Lathams Limited commented “James Latham are a long established family owned panel and timber importing business who have operated from Yate since the 1970’s. We needed a larger, more modern facility in the area that incorporated both technical and visual elements, bespoke to our requirements and Chancerygate made it happen-seamlessly. The pro-active attitude, dedication and flexibility of the Chancerygate team throughout the planning and construction phases ensured we were provided with a best-in-class experience. The result is a new warehouse that can facilitate a more efficient operation and better supports our brand image”.
To take a tour of James Lathams new facility please click here.