£20 million sustainable industrial scheme for Bracknell

Bridges Fund Management and Barwood Capital have purchased the redundant John Nike Leisuresport Ice Rink in Bracknell.

Barwood will act as development manager for the 3.34-acre site within the Amen Corner area of Bracknell and is seeking planning permission for the construction of an industrial warehousing scheme, built to a highly sustainable Net Zero Carbon, BREEAM Excellent and EPCA+ specification.

The site benefits from immediate proximity to the A329 (M), linking the M4 at Reading to the north and the M3 to the south at Lightwater.

Following the closure of the Ice Rink in 2020, and the relocation of the Bees Ice Hockey Club to Slough Ice Arena, Barwood and Bridges are looking to replace the existing building on site and deliver high quality, energy efficient warehousing, which is currently in short supply in the region.

Edward Henson (pictured), director and head of transactions at Barwood Capital, comments: "Following the closure of the Ice Rink, we are delighted to be bringing this site back into use. Local businesses in Bracknell seeking warehousing space currently have limited options. Our plan is to deliver it in the region of 70,000 sq ft of industrial space through the proposed new scheme which will go some way to meeting this demand."

Henry Pepper, investment director at Bridges Fund Management, adds: "This well-located site can be positioned to meet strong local demand for industrial and logistics. Together with Barwood, we will draw on our extensive experience of developing best-in-class, low-carbon, logistics sites to create a scheme which is both energy-efficient and highly sustainable in its operation."

About Barwood Capital

Barwood Capital is an owner managed business founded in 2009, specialising in UK regional investment and development. 

To date, Barwood Capital has invested over £360 million into UK regional real estate, creating £750m in value and has delivered an average investor return of 14%, with a repeat investor rate of over 80%.

About Bridges Fund Management

Bridges Fund Management invests in the transition to a more inclusive and sustainable economy. Its specialist property funds invest opportunistically in growth locations and sectors that are well-placed to benefit from changing demographics and societal needs, driving value through physical and operational improvements.