Space a premium as self storage business settles on Scunthorpe A
NEW business has been launched in Scunthorpe, where space is a premium.
Scunthorpe Self Storage is a second business unit for Ross Stewart, who set up Selby Self Store last year. He had worked in the storage and distribution industry for more than 15 years, and spotted the opportunity to launch in the North Yorkshire town. Now he has added the site at Skippingdale Retail Park, creating five new jobs, with turnover expected to hit £1.5 million next year. The business provides automated self-store in a safe and secure environment for the domestic and commercial markets. Customers can use the facility to store general household items to either de-clutter or use the storage while they redecorate, renovate or move on a short-term basis. Businesses can store stock or documents. Mr Stewart said: “We’ve seen fantastic take up at the new business in Selby and so I decided to launch a second site in Scunthorpe. It occurred to me that we didn’t have any storage facilities locally and the retail park in Scunthorpe seemed a great location to launch the second site. “The unit provides high end modern self-store facilities that people locally are finding invaluable.” Units within the 20,000 sq ft site vary in size from 15 sq ft to 200 sq ft, with 24 hour access. Additional open warehouse floor space can be used for anything from pallets to theatre sets, with a load-on load-off fork lift service. Finance for the Snowdonia Avenue site was arranged through Barclays. Kelvin Smith, relationship director at Barclays, said: “Ross is a longstanding and valuable customer and so when he decided to launch the second site we were delighted to provide the funding. It is great to see a fast growing local business taking advantage of low interest rates and investing for the future, creating jobs and contributing to the local economy.” Scunthorpe Self Storage has taken over what was once occupied by Ericsson and IAC. The purchase, for an undisclosed fee, was negotiated with PPH Commercial. Duncan Willey, who heads up the town office, said: “We had been marketing a let, but ended up agreeing a sale, and the new occupier is spending a good sum of money refurbishing the property.”
It comes as a significant shortfall in warehousing and industrial estate stock is noted. “Occupancy levels are approaching 95 per cent. It beggars belief in terms of what is available and how far we’ve come. Hull and Doncaster are the same, Grimsby has very limited stock availability there too. “Significantly there is very little speculative new build, there hasn’t been for a while, and people are forced to take existing buildings and refurbish, which is good. I do sense we are getting to a point now where there are no silly deals being done, but there is still a shortfall when it comes to developers achieving value against new build costs.”
SECOND VENTURE: Ross Stewart, second left, and Sophie Trueman, of Scunthorpe Self Storage, flanked by Steve Hanson and Kelvin Smith of Barclays, outside the recently purchased property. Above, an artist’s impression of the full refurbishment. Inset, Duncan Willey.
Could wood be the answer to ease the housing demand? ONE of Grimsby’s oldest businesses is embracing the Gover nment’s housebuilding challenge, pointing to timber framed solutions to meet the demand. Bennetts Timber was founded in 1804, but the homes of 2020 are the firm focus, following this past month’s announcement from the Chancellor. Robert Bennett, a sixth generation director of the firm, and a qualified chartered surveyor, he said: “In the Autumn Statement George Osborne announced that the Government’s spending on housebuilding will
rise to £1.2 billion per year by the end of this Parliament, which is expected to deliver 400,000 new homes by 2020. “It is claimed that the 400,000 Government-funded new homes will be affordable both to rent and buy, half of new builds will be starter homes sold at 20 per cent below market value for first time buyers. “But how are these new house going to be built? Successive governments have failed over the past 30 years or so to meet their housing targets. Timber framed houses could be the answer. “They are precision engineered,
strong and durable. They account for more than 70 per cent of new homes in the developed world and are the most popular form of house construction in Scotland with increasing development throughout the UK. “The popularity of timber frame structures is down to the benefits of this type of construction method over that of traditional brick and block. It is accredited as being the most economical and efficient method of construction. In addition to this, timber is a truly sustainable product.” Other benefits include construction not being weather
dependant, with predictability and greater control in the construction process. Mr Bennett said it also boasts high energy efficiency, better insulation qualities and improved speed of construction. “Timber houses could be the solution to the housing shortfall,” he added. Bennetts, based on South Humberside Industrial Estate, is a traditional merchant with trade counter and timber cladding expertise that has seen it win major commercial contracts, as well as domestic contracts.
TIMBER SOLUTION: Robert Bennett, of Bennetts Timber.
25 GTE-E01-S3-DECEMBER 15, 2015
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