GMI to build £33m King’s Norton industrial estate

The £32.9m Urban 8 Logistics Park will be built on the former Pilkington Automotive and GKN Aerospace sites at King’s Norton. It will have eight units that range from 25,000 sq ft to 70,000 sq ft.The developers are Tristan Capital Partners and Canmoor, in partnership with regeneration specialist St Francis Group acting as development manager.All will achieve a BREEM Excellent rating, and the project features a variety of sustainable measures including LED lighting, over 300,00kWh/annum of PV power generation, electric vehicle charging and energy saving infrastructure – resulting in overall CO2 emissions savings of 25%.The detached units will be externally finished in composite metal cladding in various grey and silver finishes, with glazing incorporated into entrances and office spaces. They are designed to achieve a BREEM Excellent rating.In 2019 GKN Aerospace announced the phased closure of its King’s Norton Factory, which produced high-performance windscreens and windows for civilian and military aircraft, with work transferring to other sites. Pilkington Automotive consolidated its operations into a larger warehouse in nearby Redditch. In February 2021, Birmingham City Council granted full planning permission and the site was cleared in preparation for the multi-unit industrial development.Completion is expected by the end of 2024.