Asda is planning to develop a 633,500 sq ft distribution centre on Kingsway Business Park in Rochdale.

Asda plans to create 800 new jobs in Rochdale by opening a state-of-the-art distribution centre on Kingsway Business Park.
Later this month, the grocer is to submit a planning application to develop a 44 acre site on the 420 acre park. They hope to have the facility operationg by the end of 2012.

The development would include almost 500,000sq ft of warehousing and offices and it would handle up to three million cases of chilled frozen food per week as well as other food products.

Head of Network Development for ASDA Distribution Ant Everett said: We need a new warehouse in the North West to service our growing number of stores and Kingsway’s location and the fact that it has direct access to the M62 makes it ideal to service the whole of the north of England. It will provide up to 800 jobs when it’s fully operational and it will be state-of-the-art. We aim to make it one of the most environmentally sustainable developments of its kind in the UK and it would be a flagship development for us, leading the way for ASDA worldwide.”

John Hudson Chief Executive of Rochdale Development Agency (RDA), said: “This is a multi-million pound proposed investment and if the plans are given the go-ahead the centre will be the second largest occupier on the Park after JD Sports. It will mark another significant milestone in the development of Kingsway.”
in the coming weeks, ASDA will be consulting with residents living near Kingsway Business Park.

Currently, Asda has 24 distribution centres across the UK.