Associated British Ports  marked the official opening of its HELM Immingham site, a 227-acre industrial and logistics development site.

Seen as one of the most significant developments of its kind in the region for a decade, the event was marked by a ribbon cutting ceremony and a tour of the Phase One units for invited dignitaries from business and civil society.

Phase One sees 103,000 square feet of modern, multi-let industrial and logistics space come online. The eight units have been constructed to a high specification and have been positioned to support businesses across engineering, manufacturing and port logistics.

The wider HELM masterplan has capacity for more than 1.1 million square feet of logistics and manufacturing space, plus 90 acres of automotive open storage. For ABP, who operate the adjacent major ports of Grimsby and Immingham as part of the UK’s No.1 gateway for trade on the Humber, the scale and ambition of the full scheme reflect company’s confidence in and vision for the area.

Andrew Dawes, Regional Director of the Humber ports said: “This investment in HELM is a clear demonstration to ABP’s strategy of Keeping Britain Trading and represents an important step in the continued evolution of our port facilities and wider property estate. The development demonstrates our commitment to strengthening the UK’s trade infrastructure, reinforcing the Humber’s position as the UK’s No.1 gateway for global commerce and ensuring our ports remain a location of choice for customers.”

Greg Lacey, Head of Property (Humber) said: “HELM demonstrates ABP’s commitment to ambitiously developing high-quality industrial and logistics space that meets the needs of businesses looking to locate and grow at the Humber ports. Alongside strengthening our port-centric property offer, the development represents a significant investment in local jobs and economic opportunity.”

As part of ABP’s low-carbon development strategy, the units are BREEAM Excellent and EPC A rated. By incorporating air source heat pumps, EV charging, PV-ready structures and sustainable drainage, it provides a sustainable site for the future and has been designed with modern occupiers in mind.

The location is strategically located close to the A180 and the two major Humber estuary ports. The eight units’ range in size from 5,000 sq. ft. to 30,000 sq. ft and the units are targeted at small to medium-sized enterprises in port logistics, engineering, manufacturing and distribution.