The new coldstore, comprising 101,000 pallets and standing at 47.5 meters high, features an advanced automated storage and retrieval system. Designed with a highly energy-efficient external envelope, this facility will operate entirely on renewable energy, demonstrating a commitment to sustainability in food manufacturing.
Commenting on the build, ISD director of industrial and commercial projects, Jason Denning, stated: “We believe that the finished building, with its energy-efficient design, physical proportions, and unique aesthetic features, sets it apart from all previous similar facilities and will raise the bar for future temperature-controlled ASRS buildings.”
The ISD special projects team designed the facility’s low-bay freezer envelope, which is distributed over three mezzanine levels and reaches a height of 24 meters. The completed project includes 28 conveyor airlocks, each equipped with two rapid roll airtight doors to minimize hypoxic air loss, in addition to 28 fire-rated shutters for effective fire compartmentalization.
Coldstore Features
Moreover, the facility boasts 20 loading dock pods, all featuring inner dock freezer rapid action doors. Humidity levels are meticulously controlled by a bespoke dehumidification system, ensuring optimal conditions for food storage.
Jonathan Gagg, director at Magnavale’s parent company Sadel Group, added: “Once in operation, in late 2024, we expect that the Easton development will transform frozen storage and value-added capabilities across the UK, allowing our partners to cut unnecessary costs, risks, and complexity within their cold chain.”
“We thank the team from ISD Solutions for their exceptional work on this project and look forward to working with them again in the future.”
Scheduled to become operational later this year, the coldstore will enhance the UK’s warehousing stock, addressing the shortages exacerbated by Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic.
‘Lacking in Warehouse Space’
“We know that the UK is severely lacking in frozen warehousing space, and we also know that high-bay automated warehouses are what is needed to make up this shortfall,” remarked Denning. “So, we’re looking forward to continuing our relationship with Magnavale to help meet that demand.”
Warehouse space in the UK has faced a decline since 2011, with vacancy rates plunging to as low as 3.2% in 2021. However, the industrial and logistics real estate sectors experienced a rise in vacancy rates in 2024, more than doubling to 6.5% in the first quarter of last year (Statista).
Big shed warehouses—those over 100,000 sq. ft.—saw slightly higher vacancy rates, ranging between 2% and 8%, depending on the region.
