Plans approved for large Northampton warehouse near M1

An artist's impression shows the graduated colour scheme of the warehouse

Plans have been approved for a 140,000 sq m (1.5 million sq ft) warehouse at a rail freight terminal beside the M1.

The building is likely to become one of the first constructed at Northampton Gateway near junction 15.

The warehouse, which would be occupied by Yusen Logistics, forms part of the master plan for a total of seven similarly-sized warehouses in the area.

The warehouse will be roughly 21m (69ft) tall with a graduated colour scheme.

Construction of the Northampton Gateway site is well under way

Permission for the overall Northampton Gateway site, between Milton Malsor and Collingtree, was granted in 2019 for rail-served warehousing and ancillary service buildings.

People in nearby villages had campaigned against the plan, saying it would cause unacceptable traffic congestion and put green space and wildlife habitats at risk.

Land has been levelled for the rail freight terminal next to junction 15 of the M1

This latest proposal is for a bespoke and high-tech distribution facility with service yards, loading docks, a three-storey office at the entrance, and car and HGV parking.

The warehouse will have its own security gatehouse, fuel island and lorry wash, a pallet storage area, and waste/recycling area.

The warehouse's graduated colour scheme will lead to a light colour at the top, allowing it to merge with the skyline.

This design will be replicated by other warehouses in the Northampton Gateway.

The warehouse will include a large car park, HGV parking and a security building (artist's impression)

A full planning application had to be made for the warehouse as it will be 2.66m (9ft) above the maximum allowed on the site, but planning officers felt the extra height would not have an unacceptable effect on the landscape.

The application was approved by West Northamptonshire Council's strategic planning committee on Tuesday.

Yusen Logistics has confirmed that the site would initially provide a total of 400 jobs, becoming the company's largest warehouse in the world and the headquarters for some UK-wide functions.