ProLogis pulls out of Greenham Business Park

A statement released by Greenham Common Trust said that the site had been “acquired” from Prologis, but would not be drawn any further on the figures involved in the exchange due to “commercial confidentiality”.
The US distribution company has owned the 43-acre site at Greenham Business Park since 2005, and has most recently used it to lease to logistics firm Wincanton for trailer and container storage, for which planning permission was initially granted in 2010.
The permission, which was due to expire next week, was extended for a further three years by West Berkshire Council despite the application causing a stir among parish councillors and local residents alike.
The site has been a cause for contention since Sainsbury’s was granted planning permission to build large warehouses there in 2002.
Concerns of local residents, parish councils and community groups were only temporarily quelled when Sainsbury’s abandoned the plans, leaving the trust with an undisclosed sum which communications and events manager, Julian May, described only as a “commercially sound agreement with Sainsbury’s which both parties were satisfied with”, before Prologis announced plans to build a row of 12-metre-high warehouses there.
However, the firm fell victim to the recession in 2008 which put a hold on its plans, despite battling opposition through a public inquiry and the appeal process.
Wincanton will now lease the site directly from the trust, the current landowners.
The trust is now looking for prospective new tenants and is inviting businesses to come forward with proposals for the site.
The chief executive, Stuart Tagg, said: “The trust will consider the full range of prospective development proposals as and when they arise including small scale proposals.
“This is a great opportunity for the trust to offer our existing tenants the opportunity to grow and develop at Greenham Business Park.”
Mr May said that currently there were no specific plans for the site, but could not confirm that it would not be leased to another large company.
He said: “We will consider all development opportunities for the site, including small and medium scale proposals, and we welcome approaches from existing tenants and from prospective tenants outside of the business park.”
Despite admitting he is glad to see the back of Prologis, the chairman of Greenham Parish Council, Tony Forward, said he was concerned that the business park was not being used to its initial purpose - to help small and local start-up businesses.
He said: ““Thirty per cent was supposed to be for sporting use, over the years that has whittled away until there’s none.
“The public thought they were agreeing to a small business stepping stone but in fact it’s detracted totally from that.”
“There’s doubtless concern over any sort of large operation taking place up there.
“Compared to Prologis, this is a major improvement, at least any profit made there will now go back into the charity and will be used relatively locally.”