Priory Point Warehouse Reconfiguration

Kirkby Diamond, now part of BTG Eddisons, was instructed by Ellesmere Property Management Company to deliver a major reconfiguration of a 90,000 sq ft warehouse at Priory Point in Bedford Business Park. The £800,000 project was required to enable Premier Cables, one of Europe's leading power cable suppliers, to launch a new hub in Bedfordshire.

The landlord needed two new dock levellers constructed to bridge the gap between the building and vehicles, facilitating a secure platform for loading and unloading goods. This work was essential ahead of Premier Cables moving in after agreeing a 10-year lease, completed by our agency department.

The project required careful coordination between building consultancy, structural engineers, architects, utility services and M&E contractors to deliver the alterations within a challenging timeframe.

Grant Whittaker, Associate at Kirkby Diamond, led the project team through the complex reconfiguration process.

Following a dilapidations survey for the outgoing tenant, our agency team secured Premier Cables as the new occupier. The landlord agreed to install the dock levellers as they were essential for the new tenant's operations and also required several additional alterations to the existing building.

Our building consultancy team worked closely with the client to understand their objectives, then coordinated with a range of professionals to submit plans to building control, ensuring local authority approval for all proposed works.

Ash Construction, the principal contractor, delivered the construction phase over 11 weeks. The scope included demolition of a plant room and one section of the building, excavation of the concrete floor, installation of new leveller doors, and restoration of the rear of the warehouse.

The project timeline was particularly challenging, as racking installation for the new tenant proceeded simultaneously with heavy civil engineering work on another section of the building. This required meticulous project management to ensure the tenant could meet their fixed move-in date and commence fit out operations.

The warehouse reconfiguration was completed on time, enabling Premier Cables to launch their new Bedfordshire hub as planned. The new tenant has now moved their stock in and taken full occupation of the 90,000 sq ft facility.

The successful delivery of this heavy refurbishment demonstrated our ability to coordinate complex projects involving multiple disciplines, tight timelines, and simultaneous operations. The landlord benefited from securing a 10-year lease with a major European supplier, while the tenant gained a facility configured precisely to their operational requirements.