Air, Feature, Freight News, Logistics


Prologis to develop East Midlands freeport site

[ January 29, 2025   //   ]

East Midlands Airport owner and operator MAG (Manchester Airports Group) has appointed logistics property developer Prologis as its partner to take forward the development of a new industrial logistics and advanced manufacturing park.

The new area, to the south of the airport, is a designated East Midlands Freeport tax site and aims to develop in key growth sectors including life sciences and advanced manufacturing. It will offer operators various tax and customs relief and simplified import and export procedures.

A planning application for the new park has been submitted to North West Leicestershire District Council, which, if approved, will bring up to 2,000 new jobs.

Prologis will also deliver a dedicated centre for logistics job training and education in Leicestershire.

During construction, embodied carbon will be measured, reduced and mitigated aligned with the UKGBC net-zero carbon framework. In operation, the buildings at the park will have a net-zero regulated energy use in line with an EPC A+ rating.

EMA’s managing director, Steve Griffiths said: “This is an exciting step forward for growth in and around the airport, as our unrivalled cargo operation continues to act as a catalyst for investment in our region and we look at ways to build on its success.”

Paul Weston, regional head, Prologis UK said: “Our shared vision is to leverage the Freeport status and central location of EMA to create a high-impact gateway that drives economic growth, innovation and employment opportunities across the Midlands. By bringing our expertise in logistics developments to the table, we are confident that our partnership will unlock significant benefits for both the local community and the broader UK economy.”

Tom Newman-Taylor, chief executive of East Midlands Freeport said: “We welcome this announcement and Prologis’ commitment to East Midlands Freeport and this unique opportunity to drive transformative growth in the region. This is a positive first step in realising the full potential of the Freeport’s tax sites which, when fully developed, will be transformative for the East Midlands economy. Working collaboratively with all our partners we can realise our ambition of creating 20,000 jobs and unlocking billions of public and private investment into the region.”

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