Portsmouth warehouse to be replaced with one of the greenest units in the area

By TBM Team

27 October 2022

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Plans are in the works to replace an ageing warehouse unit on a Portsmouth industrial estate with one of the region's greenest structures of its kind.

The unoccupied 120,477 sq ft Unit B at Railway Triangle on Walton Road in Drayton will be destroyed if the local government grants planning permission. In its place? A sustainable 106,498 sq ft leasehold industrial warehouse unit with offices, a BREEAM Excellent rating, an EPC A and a Fitwel-enabled building would be developed.

Railway Triangle is made up of seven blocks and is adjacent to the M27, A27 and A3 motorways. The industrial warehouse on the bottom floor would measure 98,888 square feet, with office space on the first and second floors.

There would be 107 parking spots, four loading doors, eight dock levellers, a minimum eaves-to-haunch of 12m, a bike shop, EV charging, PV panels, greater biodiversity and an energy-efficient heating and cooling system for the offices (if planning approval is granted).

To avoid violating the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES), landlords can only rent out commercial properties with an EPC rating of E or above starting from next April. This rises to C in 2027 and B in 2030.

Property consultants Vail Williams are one of the joint agents of Railway Triangle (along with LSH and on behalf of DTZ Investors). Alex Gauntlett is a surveyor and associate at Vail Williams. He said this about the work:

“A retrofit of vacant Unit B, to bring the premises up to latest energy efficiency measures, would be cost-prohibitive; its lifespan has come to an end. The plans are for a much-needed Grade A replacement which meets and exceeds latest energy efficiency regulations for commercial property.”

“This is rightly focusing minds right across the country and industry research shows that an estimated 120 million sq ft of commercial property in England will fail MEES from next April.”

“Railway Triangle has always been a sought-after location because of its transport links and international ferry routes. We are already close to full occupancy with the other units and we are confident that companies will be interested in leasing Unit B if it is a brand-new building which ticks all the boxes, including sustainability,” he added.

Pictures courtesy of Deep South Media/Vail Williams