Marshall Commercial Development Projects Limited (Marshall CDP) has commenced the next phase of construction at the Stealth Development, its speculative industrial scheme at Airfields, Deeside. Completion of the scheme is targeted for the second quarter of 2027.
The 193,500ft² development will deliver six warehouses, with floorplates ranging from 12,000ft² to 57,000ft². The units will be made available either to lease or to purchase, giving occupiers a choice of tenure in a market where buying has, according to the developer's letting agent, been difficult for some time.
Alongside the six new units, the site already holds planning permission for two larger buildings. A single 211,000ft² unit can be developed next to the current scheme, and a further 134,000ft² single unit is consented at the front of the site. Both are available on a design-and-build basis, a route intended for occupiers that require bespoke, larger-scale facilities rather than standard stock.
Confidence in the local market
Jon Thorne, director at B8 Real Estate, said Marshall CDP's decision to speculatively build out the scheme reflected real confidence in the local market. He pointed to a recognised shortage of Grade A MLI industrial accommodation in the area and said the development directly addresses that lack of supply.
Thorne added that the scheme gives local businesses the opportunity to purchase their own unit. He said this had not been possible in the market for a considerable period of time, making the offer of freehold or leasehold space a notable feature of the project.
An established mixed-use location
According to the announcement, Airfields is already home to an Amazon RDC and to a recently completed new papermill by ICT. Retail amenities from Aldi and Home Bargains are also on site and will serve the near 1,000 new homes being built there, alongside existing businesses and workers.
The Stealth Development follows a series of milestones on the wider scheme. A pre-let of 104,000ft² was secured with Leviat for its development of Plot D, which comprises three units of 180,000ft². The whole scheme was subsequently sold to Leftfield Partners.
Read together, the consented elements point to a site being built out in phases, with smaller multi-unit space now under construction and larger single-unit options held for occupiers that need to design and build to their own specification.
Council response
Dave Hughes, leader of Flintshire County Council, said it was fantastic to see Marshall CDP continuing to invest in Deeside with this significant new phase of development at Airfields. He said the scheme demonstrated the confidence investors have in Flintshire's economy and reinforced Deeside's position as one of the region's leading locations for advanced manufacturing.