DHL proposing £18m investment in second Newtownabbey centre with potential for over 280 full-time jobs
A second distribution hub has been proposed in the Ballyearl area of Newtownabbey for international logistics company DHL at a cost of £18m.
An application has been lodged with Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council for the proposed construction of a storage and distribution warehouse building with ancillary facilities, office space, internal chiller unit, solar panels and external yard, including HGV and car parking, landscaping and infrastructure works at Ballyearl Business Park, Houston’s Corner, Doagh Road/Ballynure Road.
The application for full planning permission has been made by an agent on behalf of applicant JH Turkington & Sons Ltd for DHL Supply Chain Ltd. Access is proposed from the entrance into Ballyearl Business Park, on Doagh Road at Houston’s Corner.
A design, access and supporting planning statement, submitted with the application, said the proposal is expected to result in an investment of £18m in the local economy and the creation of approximately 100 construction jobs.
The statement said the proposed development “seeks to secure DHL, a world-leading logistics company, within the borough” providing more than 280 full-time jobs.
It will “complement DHL’s development plans with DHL Express recently approved in the nearby Houston Business Park on the opposite side of the A8 and consolidate its presence in the borough”.
Planning permission was granted by the council for a £30m storage and distribution centre at Houston Business Park, in March.
The planning statement continued: “This is a development of significant economic importance, not just for the borough, but the entire region. It represents a joint venture between JH Turkington & Sons Ltd, a tier one contractor in the Northern Ireland construction industry and DHL Group, a leading global logistics brand.
“DHL is a global logistics company with DHL Supply Chain operating an existing multi-user retail distribution centre located at Mallusk, Newtownabbey.
“The Mallusk site employs over 200 staff members, contributing to a total workforce of more than 700 across Northern Ireland.
“DHL facilitates deliveries to more than 600 store locations throughout Northern Ireland, completing 143,000 deliveries each year.”
The statement said the current DHL Mallusk site, at McKinney Industrial Estate, “presents several challenges” including “capacity constraints” as it is said to be “operating at full capacity, limiting the company’s ability to expand and meet growth ambitions”.
Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter