Telford transport firm snaps up land for expansion

A J Maiden and Son (Maiden's of Telford) has now completed the purchase of the 3.2 acre development site at East Donnington Wood Business Park - directly adjacent to its existing premises - as part of the Telford Land Deal.

Maiden's of Telford, which is part of Kinaxia Logistics, has purchased the site and it is expected that work will begin over the summer. However, in the interim it will expand its existing yard into the site, which will mean it can use additional HGV parking and circulation space.

The Telford Land Deal is a unique agreement between Telford and Wrekin Council, the Homes and Communities Agency and the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership. It forms part of the Marches Growth Deal, secured by the Marches LEP from Central Government in 2014.

It has meant plots of land designated for industrial use which have been lying redundant have been brought forward to market thanks to new infrastructure, access and development. Receipts from the sale of this HCA land will be reinvested locally and the percentage of those will go to the Marches Investment Fund to support growth projects across the region.

This has enabled existing Telford businesses, like A J Maiden and Son, to expand their current operations, but has also attracted new inward investment to the borough of Telford and Wrekin from both elsewhere in the UK and abroad.

John Maiden, managing director of A J Maiden and Son, said: "We are delighted that the availability of this land means that we will be able to expand our operation, and the fact that it is directly adjacent to our existing sites gives us lots of flexibility for the future."

Councillor Lee Carter, Telford and Wrekin Council's cabinet member for economic development, said: "It is great that the Land Deal has meant that a local company like Maiden's of Telford will be able to expand.

"We are committed to being a business winning and business supporting council and this is just another fantastic example of how we are successfully encouraging existing businesses to expand and other businesses to commit to new investment in the borough."

Karl Tupling, general manager for the Midlands for the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), said: "The Telford Land Deal is giving Telford and Wrekin Council the opportunity to take responsibility for the marketing and disposal of remaining HCA land holdings.

"It's great to see Maiden's of Telford making this latest in a series of investments helping to secure jobs in the town."

Gill Hamer, director of the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership, added: "Maidens is a well-known and well-established local business so it is great to see its continued expansion in the town. This will both safeguard and create jobs.

"Of course, the fact that this expansion has been made possible by the Land Deal means that there will be a halo effect of benefit to the wider region given that the HCA receipts will be reinvested locally."