Press Release

NEW ALDI HQ TO GO AHEAD ON ISLE OF SHEPPEY

27 April 2009

The next phase of construction can begin at Neats Court, the employment area within the £400 m regeneration of Queenborough & Rushenden on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, following the purchase of 60 hectares of compensatory land at Harty Marshes by South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and The Crown Estate.

Outline planning consent for development at Neats Court was granted subject to various conditions in 2007, and includes a new hotel, filling station and a regional distribution centre for supermarket Aldi. The acquisition of replacement grazing land through a joint venture between SEEDA and The Crown Estate satisfies the final planning condition, bringing forward funding from SEEDA, the Homes & Communities Agency and Aldi to complete the Neats Court enabling works and section 1 of the Rushenden Link Road.

Nick Young, Senior Project Manager at SEEDA said: “SEEDA is creating inward investment and both construction and permanent jobs in these difficult times. To have attracted Aldi, a major international business to the Isle of Sheppey is a major achievement and we now have a valuable ‘bio-bank’ in place, a proportion of which will offset development at Neats Court with the remainder available for future high quality schemes in the region.”

The Aldi development at Neats Court comprises around 56,000 sq. m (600,000 sq. ft) of HQ office building and distribution centre, creating at least 250 jobs directly and many more indirectly due to the company’s policy of sourcing local produce. The combined construction projects including the Aldi development, the site preparation works and new road will deliver some £40 m of construction over the next few years.

Discussions are underway with a number of other interested parties who recognise the vastly improved accessibility to the area within the Thames Gateway. Nick Harper, Head of Asset Management at The Crown Estate, said: “The completion of the new bridge onto the island and the Rushenden Link Road will open up the area and help Neats Court establish itself as a high quality business destination. The recent land acquisition means we are now in a position to offer new development sites and opportunities for investment in the future, working in partnership with SEEDA and enabling companies such as Aldi to bring new employment to the area.”

Graham Hetherington, Managing Director for Aldi South East said, “The acquisition of this distribution site indicates Aldi’s commitment to significant expansion of store numbers across the South East / London over the coming years.”

John Porter, Senior Partner, Harrisons Chartered Surveyors, Property Consultants to SEEDA said: “Provision of the compensatory land unlocks a huge development opportunity for Sheppey, with major employment potential. The Rushenden Link Road connecting the A249 with the proposed regeneration area in Queenborough & Rushenden provides the essential access for a major mixed-use development including enhanced community facilities, up to 2,000 homes and 140,000 sq. m (1,500,000 sq. ft) of employment space.”

Harrisons acted for SEEDA, Cluttons for The Crown Estate and Harris Keane for Aldi.