BPF calls for ‘urgent’ warehouse uplift to support government housing target

The British Property Federation has called on the logistics industry to step up delivery of warehouse space to support the government’s housing target. Some 20.6m sq ft of additional warehouse space will be needed to support the government’s housing target of 300,000 homes every year, according to the BPF. It said the logistics sector, including developers, operators and industry representatives, must engage with government and local plan and local industrial strategies to deliver sustainable places. The BPF asked the government to set a requirement that all local industrial strategies identify steps to support this. Sustainable communities Melanie Leech, chief executive of the BPF, said: “We urgently need this in order to make sure that decision-makers and planners can respond and create sustainable communities that bring benefits to both existing residents and newcomers.” The BPF and planning consultancy Turley have produced the report What warehousing where?, measuring warehouse supply against homes. Leech said the report “gives us a clear and simple picture of the volume of warehousing required to service our society at large”. There is currently 69 sq ft of warehouse floorspace per home in England. An uplift of 20.6m sq ft would maintain this home-to-warehouse balance. However, just two of the past six years have seen warehouse floorspace supply meet this level. London fared the worst, with just 40 sq ft of warehouses per home, compared with the West Midlands, which boasts a ratio of 111 sq ft. The BPF said this was evidence of the Midlands as “a key national distribution hub” and noted the “constrained land supply” within the capital. Recognition needed It said while housing has been made a top domestic priority, “no formal recognition is given to the quantum and location of warehousing space”. Leech added: “The government is under a lot of pressure to deliver new housing, and while this is important, a balanced approach to planning for sustainable communities must be taken.” Amy Gilham, director of economics at Turley, said: “We have, for the first time, a marker of the relationship between homes and warehousing across England. “The ratio provides a tool to enable local planning authorities across the country to better understand and plan for their current or emerging role within the national logistics network.” To send feedback, e-mail emma.rosser@egi.co.uk or tweet @EmmaARosser or @estatesgazette