BLACKROD-based Allen Commerical Developments, the property development arm of the construction, civil engineering, housebuilding and plant hire group Allen plc, has handed over a new £1 million high-bay warehouse to Abbotts Packaging Ltd, part of the Macfarlane Group (Clansman) plc.

The new facility was developed by Allen Commercial Developments for Abbotts on a 1.7 acre site at Wheatlea Park, Wigan. Abbotts supply packaging materials to the industry, and the 22,000 sq ft building is shortly to commence operation as its Northern distribution centre. The company presently serves its 17 branches throughout the UK from a centralised facility in London, and the new warehouse in Wigan will provide the distribution infra-structure to feed all its branches from the Midlands up into Scotland.

Abbotts Packaging chose Wheatlea Park because of its strategic location just off junction 25 of the M6 motorway. Allen recently completed the development of a £2 million Brewers Fayre restaurant and 40-bed travel inn for Whitbread plc on another part of the seven acre Wheatlea Park site.

The Wheatlea Park site was acquired by Allen Commercial Developments from Wigan council and required extensive land reclamation works. The scheme was assisted by funding from English Partnerships.

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