A global freight company is planning to relocate a central England operation to a new site 10 miles away.
Danish-based logistics giant DSV wants to bring 400 jobs to a 238 acre logistics park in west Leicestershire.
The business – one of the world’s biggest storage and distribution specialists – has signed a deal to take 27 acres on the site next to junction 11 of the M42, close to the village of Appleby Magna.
It has outline permission for a 450,0000 sq ft of warehousing which could go up alongside a 2.94 million sq ft global parts , which won planning permission last month.
Between the two businesses, the site could eventually employ 3,400 people.
JLR and DSV will rent their warehouses from developer
A spokeswoman for the developer said DSV would be using the site as a hub for its UK road, air, sea and contract logistics operations.
She said it will replace a site it currently has near junction 10 of the M42 at Kingsbury, near Tamworth.
She said DSV wants to relocate around 200 jobs and create around 200 more.
JLR is planning a new global hub to distribute spare parts to customers in the UK and 80 countries around the world.
It wants to centralise the work currently done at 10 warehouses dotted around the Midlands.
It gained planning approval despite a big campaign opposing the green field development which saw 431 formal objections from neighbours and from 16 parish councils in the area.
IM Properties said DSV was put forward as a potential occupier alongside Jaguar Land Rover in the original planning report to North West Leicestershire District Council in August.
DSV – which recently completed a $5.5bn deal to take over Swiss-based logistics giant Panalpina – operates in more than 90 countries, and employs more than 60,000 people.
Kevin Ashfield, development director at IM Properties, said he was delighted to have exchanged contracts with DSV to deliver a “sustainable, flagship campus” for the organisation to relocate to and consolidate its operations in the Midlands.
He said: “DSV is another major international occupier for the employment park and north west Leicestershire.
“Their interest in the site came after a lengthy search process and will enable them to grow their business in the region and become a significant site within its global network.
‘’The fact that virtually the whole park is now committed ahead of any formal marketing illustrates the strength and quality of the location and the demand for large scale sites in the region.
“DSV has an outstanding track record in the transport and logistics sector and we’re looking forward to working with a company committed to corporate social responsibility and providing excellent new employment opportunities for those seeking to work in a dynamic and increasingly technically advanced industry.”
