New Hertfordshire M1 business park designs unveiled

Dacorum Borough Council is reviewing plans for the new offices and warehousing just metres from Hemel Hempstead’s shut-down Amazon warehouse.

The local authority has already granted outline planning permission for the park, which will sit next to the M1 junction 8 roundabout – on the corner of Green Lane and the A414 Breakspear Way.

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But detailed plans have since emerged, with developers promising to “meet the differing needs of various potential occupiers and wider employment demands in the local area”.

Prologis UK – the applicant – and its planning team have said they would like to build five industrial units comprising 26,076 square metres of “high-quality, modern employment floorspace”, with 342 car parking spaces.

A planning statement reads: “The site measures approximately 6.89 hectares in size and comprises a large, L-shaped parcel of land consisting of open, green space.

“The site sits within the identified Maylands Gateway Masterplan area.”

The L-shaped part of the Maylands Masterplan included in the new documents (Image: Dacorum Borough Council planning portal/Prologis UK)

Dacorum Borough Council adopted the Maylands Masterplan in 2007.

“Maylands Gateway will be a first-rate business park with some technology sector focus, containing a series of high-quality, sustainable buildings set within a green landscape focused around a central lake,” the authority wrote.

“The Maylands Gateway will be a highly visible sign of the regeneration of Maylands and provide a high-quality environment in which to invest, do business and work.

“It will be an office-led development.”

The 2023 planning application reads: “The site is currently vacant, with no build development within the boundary.”

It adds the site is next to the M1, part of the UK’s strategic road network.

“The materials proposed include metal cladding and curtain wall systems,” the statement reads.

“In order to activate the building elevations and break up building façades, a variation of materials and features have been incorporated.

“This includes the use of cladding elements interspersed with feature glazing and coloured banding features.”

The Maylands area is already home to several major businesses including nutraceutical firm Vitabiotics and Hermes.

Amazon, which had a warehouse less than 500m from the northern edge of the proposed park, announced its intention to close its Hertfordshire site in January 2023.

“We’re always evaluating our network to make sure it fits our business needs and to improve the experience for our employees and customers,” an Amazon spokesperson said at the time.

“As part of that effort, we may close older sites, enhance existing facilities, or open new sites, and we’ve launched a consultation on the proposed closure of three fulfilment centres in 2023.”