‘Significant’ expansion plans unveiled for historic Glasgow dock on River Clyde
“Demand continues to grow across a number of critical industries” – David Huck, Peel Ports Group
Peel Ports Group is building a new warehouse at Glasgow’s historic King George V Dock as part of a multi-million-pound investment drive.
The new facility, extending to some 100,000 square feet, comes as the group looks to add a million square feet of extra capacity across its port estate, driven by surging demand from the defence, chemicals, fertiliser and bulk sectors.
The UK’s second-largest port operator said it was helping customers secure access to “critical” storage space at a time when demand continues to outpace supply.
According to a report this summer by property consultancy Savills, there is increasing demand for larger warehousing across the country meaning the UK could be facing a major shortage.
Peel Ports Group said it was investing across its Clydeport and Liverpool operations to ensure customers have access to the storage facilities they need to maintain “resilient, efficient and secure supply chains”. The phased programme will deliver one million square feet of new warehousing space, equivalent to approximately 92,000 square metres or around 13 football pitches.
The initial phase of investment will include the development of a new 100,000 sq ft warehouse at King George V Dock, strengthening Clydeport’s ability to support customers across Scotland, alongside significant new capacity in Liverpool, where a new 900,000 sq ft warehouse and upgrades to existing facilities will support growing customer operations across the region.
King George V Dock opened in 1931 to accommodate the larger vessels then beginning to service the Clyde. It is the largest dock on the Upper Clyde.
In addition, Peel Ports Group is enhancing its specialist logistics offering at Greenock, where specialised bonded warehousing facilities are available to support importers and distributors.
David Huck, chief operating officer, ports and marine at Peel Ports Group, said: “Our customers are increasingly looking for high-quality storage space located close to our network of ports, and demand continues to grow across a number of critical industries.
“While economic conditions remain challenging, the strength of demand, particularly across the west of Scotland and North-west of England, gives us confidence to make this significant investment.
“The development of new warehousing capacity at King George V Dock, alongside specialised bonded warehousing at Greenock further strengthens our ability to provide integrated logistics solutions for customers trading through Scotland.”
He added: “Having warehousing located close to the quayside enables customers to streamline operations, reduce transport movements, improve speed to market and enhance supply chain resilience. In a world where every pound, every day and every decision matters, that creates a significant competitive advantage.”
The investment builds on the group’s wider commitment to expanding logistics and warehousing capabilities across its estate. Over the last 15 years, the company has developed more than 1.6 million square feet of Grade A warehousing across locations including Liverpool, Clydeport and London Medway, supporting customers involved in steel, metals, bulk commodities and other key industries.
Further details of the developments will be announced as the projects progress towards completion.
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