PLANNING permission has been secured for the development of a new 130,000 sq ft logistics facility at Airport City Manchester, close to Ashley – with construction now set to commence within weeks.

Located at Airport City Manchester’s Global Logistics site, the new-build property known as ALPHA is designed to meet growing demand for small to medium logistics units.

Once complete in early 2016, the new building will offer units from 17,500 to 35,000 sq ft arranged in a single terrace.

The site is located adjacent to Manchester Airport’s existing cargo centre and Junction 6 of the M56 Motorway.

Lynda Shillaw, MAG’s Divisional Property chief executive, said: “We are seeing healthy demand for logistics property at Airport City and the ALPHA development is an exciting addition to the range of products available to occupiers.

“ALPHA has an unrivalled location at Manchester Airport, with direct links to over 210 global destinations and with great access to the UK’s motorway network, enabling rapid movement of goods to market across the country.

"Being located at Airport City means unrivalled access to the international market place, boosting export opportunities and opening up exciting new opportunities, whether you are a local business, or a global businesses looking to establish a presence in the north west.”

Earlier last year, international logistics company DHL took occupation of a brand new facility totalling 37,308 sq ft. Constructed in less than nine months, the new DHL Service Point, was the first the first business to locate at the flagship Enterprise Zone development.