Update 4/16/18 – Triton Construction Ltd. has begun development work on Big Yellow’s 92,000-square-foot Castlefield self-storage facility. The £12 million project was originally proposed as six stories but will be five. Steel work is scheduled to begin this week, according to a source.

“Whilst this should be a relatively straightforward five-story build, we are having to take extra care and adjust our methods to adhere to the strict vibration monitoring that is being undertaken by Network Rail,” said Michael Parkinson, managing director at Triton. “We’re doing everything we can to ensure that there is limited ground movement, avoiding disturbance to the lines.”

Big Yellow has owned the Water Street site for 12 years but only recently received project approval from Manchester officials. “We had a requirement from the local authority to ensure that we built an exemplar building with high-quality public realm, and that the construction and finish was sensitive to the surroundings,” said Nigel Hartley, construction director at Big Yellow. “To do so, we needed a company with the experience and technical expertise to deliver despite the complexities, and Triton seem to be thriving on the challenge.”

Triton is based in West Yorkshire, England.

9/18/17 – U.K. self-storage operator Big Yellow Group PLC is seeking approval to build a six-story facility in Castlefield, an inner-city conservation area in Manchester, England. The Manchester City Council Planning and Highways Committee will review the proposal for the 1.6-acre parcel on the corner of New Elm Road and Water Street on Thursday. The site currently houses the construction compound for Ordsall Chord, an £85M railway project.

The facility will be designed by Mountford Pigott LLP, with Quod Planning serving as the development consultant. If the project is approved, Big Yellow will also create a public realm at the intersection, the source stated.

A report prepared by the city staff recommends the committee approve the application. It stated, "The proposal would provide a high-quality, self-storage facility. It would create new employment opportunities, support the strategic objectives of Castlefield, and contribute to Manchester city center's ongoing regeneration and economic growth."          

Big Yellow reported last May that it was having trouble finding available commercial real estate on which to develop new facilities due to housing development in London and Southeast England. The company was concerned it wouldn’t be able to expand and meet demand as its current Greater London properties lease up.

A 25,000-square-foot expansion of a Big Yellow property in Wandsworth, England, is underway. The operator also began construction in December on a 55,000-square-foot facility in Guildford, England. Both sites are expected to open in 2018. Information about the projects was released as part of the company’s interim financial results for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2016.

Big Yellow Group operates 89 self-storage locations in the United Kingdom under the Big Yellow Self Storage and Armadillo Self Storage brand names, with most concentrated in Greater London. Its total portfolio comprises 5.3 million square feet.

Sources:
Insider Media, Castlefield Self-Storage Facility Set for Go-Ahead
Bdaily, Builders Working on £12M Storage Facility at Manchester’s Historic Rocket site
BQ Live, £12M Development Underway on Castlefields Railway Site