Marshall Commercial Development Projects has started construction on a 193,500ft² speculative industrial scheme at Airfields, Deeside, with completion targeted for Q2 2027 — a rare ground-up bet on Grade A multi-let industrial (MLI) space in a North Wales market where supply has all but dried up.

The Stealth Development will deliver six warehouses ranging from 12,000ft² to 57,000ft², each available to lease or purchase. That freehold option matters: owner-occupiers in this market have had effectively no route to buying their own unit for years, a constraint that has pushed local manufacturers and logistics operators toward leasehold compromises or out-of-area relocations.

What else can occupiers get at the site?

Beyond the six spec units, Airfields carries planning permission for two larger, bespoke facilities:

• A further 211,000ft² single unit directly adjacent to the Stealth Development
• A 134,000ft² single unit at the front of the site

Both are available on a design-and-build basis for occupiers needing larger-scale, tailored capacity. For a regional market starved of big-box options, the consented pipeline gives Marshall CDP flexibility to land a major pre-let without a fresh planning cycle.

Why build speculatively now?

Jon Thorne, director at B8 Real Estate, said: "Marshall CDP's decision to speculatively build out this scheme reflects real confidence in the local market."

He added: "There is a recognised shortage of Grade A MLI industrial accommodation in the area, and this development directly addresses that lack of supply."

On the ownership question, Thorne was blunt: "Critically, it also gives local businesses the opportunity to purchase their own unit — something that hasn't been possible in this market for a considerable period of time."

How does this fit the wider Airfields picture?

The Stealth Development is the latest milestone in a larger landholding that has already absorbed significant industrial and logistics occupiers. The site hosts an Amazon regional distribution centre, a newly completed papermill built by ICT, and retail amenities from Aldi and Home Bargains serving nearly 1,000 new homes under construction on site.

The scheme follows a proven playbook at Airfields. Marshall CDP secured a 104,000ft² pre-let to Leviat on Plot D — a development comprising three units totalling 180,000ft² — and subsequently sold the whole Plot D scheme to Leftfield Partners. That exit demonstrates an institutional appetite for Deeside industrial assets, which de-risks the current speculative phase for the developer.

What does it mean for the region?

Dave Hughes, leader of Flintshire County Council, said: "It's fantastic to see Marshall CDP continuing to invest in Deeside with this significant new phase of development at Airfields.

"This scheme demonstrates the confidence that investors have in Flintshire's economy and reinforces Deeside's position as one of the region's leading locations for advanced manufacturing."

For shippers and 3PLs, the practical consequence is straightforward: from 2027, Deeside gains new mid-box capacity in unit sizes — 12,000ft² to 57,000ft² — suited to last-mile distribution, advanced manufacturing suppliers and trade counter operations, alongside consented plots for requirements up to 211,000ft².

With Grade A MLI availability in the region close to zero and owner-occupier demand pent up, the first six units at the Stealth Development look likely to test pricing at the top of the local market when they reach practical completion in Q2 2027.