Talking Investment: Derby well placed to build on industrial market momentum

New business parks and industrial estates created in and around Derby have proven a popular choice for major international companies. Darran Severn, director at FHP Property Consultants, believes this trend could be set to continue in 2026. Here, in his own words, he explains why.

Derby is a recognised industrial and distribution location within the East Midlands and is known for its advanced manufacturing, particularly in aerospace, rail and automotive sectors.

Global giants like Rolls-Royce, Alstom and Toyota have major operations in and around the city, driving innovation and employment.

Derby’s strategic location offers excellent connectivity via the A52, A38, A50 leading to the M1and M6, which enhances its appeal for business investment with 48 million people being within a four-hour drive.

As a result, the industrial and logistics sector within Derby and the immediate surrounds has attracted significant investment across the mid to large warehouse/logistics sector through a number of key sites.

Indurent Park Derby is a 67-acre new business park that has been created on one of the largest regeneration sites within Derby, adjacent to Pride Park and Wyvern Retail Park.

Indurent have delivered high specification warehouse and industrial units across two phases totalling over 650,000 sq ft across 10 units, and have attracted tenants including Rolls-Royce, Vaillant, Kia, Getinge, Utopia and Sinoboom.

Four units remain available with circa 60,000 sq ft being under offer.

SmartParc SEGRO Derby, which is situated on the former Celanese site in Spondon, has rapidly established itself as one of the city’s standout commercial success stories, specialising in cutting-edge food production facilities, with over 50% of the park’s 2.2 million sq ft of consented floorspace now let.

Major names such as HelloFresh and Greggs have already chosen to locate here, and momentum continues to build, with a further undisclosed customer set to occupy a 113,000 sq ft build-to-suit food production warehouse later this year.

Derby Commercial Park, in Raynesway, was launched around 2010 and is a significant logistics hub to the east of Derby.

The park comprises large logistics units up to 514,000 sq ft. There is currently one vacant unit but pleasingly Oxenwood Real Estate, which owns the 326,000 sq ft unit, has carried out a comprehensive refurbishment  and it is believed to now be under offer with an announcement due shortly.

Other significant occupiers on the estate include GXO and JD Sports.

We’ve seen one of the largest speculatively built units constructed in the area at Infinity Park Derby, a 100-acre advanced manufacturing and logistics site situated next to the main Rolls-Royce civil aerospace campus, which is already home to its nuclear skills academy, BOC and Oregon Timber with further announcements due later this year.

The 508,000 sq ft unit, which was completed in 2025, has been funded by Logicor.

Looking further afield, Dove Valley Park, which is situated on the A50, approximately 12 miles west of Derby, is a 200-acre industrial/distribution park developed by Clowes Developments.

Due to the dynamics in the market, we’ve recently seen approximately 460,000 sq ft developed, which was forward funded by international real estate firm Hines.

These have been built as a result of the strength of the market and pleasingly 113,000 sq ft have been let to the Uniphar Group, a leading European medical device distributer.

Other businesses on the estate include JCB, GXO, Futaba, MEG and ATL.

In addition, Clowes Developments have recently submitted a planning application for two new units totalling 542,000 sq ft.

The proposed development is being brought forward for an as-yet unnamed occupier, making another significant investment in one of the region’s most established industrial/distribution parks.

2025 was very much a year of two halves.  During the first half, our industrial and warehouse team achieved great success across the East Midlands with take up being dominated by several “big shed” deals, including the lettings of EMDC343, EMDC190 in Castle Donington and Dove Valley Park 113, totalling 646,000 sq ft alone along the A50 corridor.

For the remainder of the year, take up outside of these transactions was very much in line with the previous year.

Market conditions have been tougher, with businesses feeling nervous due to a range of national and global influences.

It has been a positive start to 2026 and while it’s still early, we hope momentum will continue through the next couple of months.

With little under construction, and several units going under offer, existing stock is reducing.

Capital and rental values have remained strong, and we remain very competitive in comparison to other competing areas such as Lichfield, Leicester and Coventry.

Thanks to its numerous high-quality sites constructed in recent years, Derby and its surrounding area have proven an increasingly popular choice in the industrial/distribution sector, to regional, national and international companies.

It now needs to build on this momentum – literally.