“Best in class”: The sale of Longmoor Apple Pie Depot will create approximately 400 jobs in East Hampshire
The former Army warehouse complex better known as the Longmoor Apple Pie Depot has been sold in an agreement that will see approximately 400 new jobs created in the East Hampshire region.
The c. 15 acre site near Whitehill & Bordon has been purchased in a multi-million pound deal by global real estate investment manager, BentallGreenOak, alongside development partner, Equation Properties.
Sold by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation, the deal will see the dilapidated warehouses that currently occupy the land replaced by best in class, highly sustainable warehousing and manufacturing facilities, creating the aforementioned employment opportunities.
If the planning process, with the application scheduled to be submitted in early 2022, continues as expected, the facilities will be up and running by August 2023, ready to be occupied by September 2023.
This sale forms one part of the much wider redevelopment of Whitehill & Bordon, overseen by the Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company and centred around Prince Philip Park, an exciting new neighbourhood being built on land once occupied by the British Army. The town’s regeneration has already created more than 600 jobs, and brought dozens of new businesses to the area.
James Child, Project Lead at The Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company, said:
“This sale is wonderful news for Whitehill & Bordon, and Prince Philip Park. It means the town becomes a location for leading global occupiers. We are incredibly excited about this sale and it gives a huge boost to our ambition to turn Whitehill & Bordon from a regional business hub into an essential base for today’s and tomorrow’s most exciting companies. With this sale, the ceiling on Whitehill & Bordon’s economic potential has just been significantly raised.”
Gareth Purcell, Managing Director at BentallGreenOak, said:
“BGO is delighted to announce the acquisition of this strategically well-located site for the development of much-needed Grade A industrial/distribution space in conjunction with our development partner Equation Properties. The Apple Pie Depot is no longer fit for purpose, so our plan is to replace the existing warehouses with a best-in-class product which we anticipate will appeal to a wide variety of both national and regional/local end-users.”
Cllr Richard Millard, EHDC Leader, said:
“This sale is another step on our journey towards transforming Whitehill & Bordon from a garrison to a green, healthy and connected town. It will be a real boost for job opportunities in the East Hampshire and South Downs regions and it shows that we continue to be a strong growth region for inward investment in the UK. The speed of progress now is breath-taking and I am looking forward to seeing plans for this important part of the town.”