Peel Ports Group will add more than one million sq ft of warehousing capacity across its UK network, opening with a 900,000 sq ft development at the Port of Liverpool and a 100,000 sq ft facility at King George V Dock in Glasgow.

The multi-million-pound programme, once complete, will deliver approximately 92,000 square metres of new Grade A warehousing — a near-doubling of the 1.6 million sq ft of Grade A space the group has built over the past 15 years at sites including Liverpool and London Medway.

Where exactly is the capacity going?

The first phase concentrates on two locations:

• Port of Liverpool — a new 900,000 sq ft warehouse, alongside upgrades to existing facilities on the estate.
• King George V Dock, Glasgow — a further 100,000 sq ft facility.

Peel Ports said it will release further details on both developments as the projects move towards completion.

What is driving the demand?

The operator reports rising demand for storage close to its quaysides across fertiliser, chemicals, defence, manufacturing and bulk commodities.

Fertiliser stands out. Peel Ports has recorded particularly strong growth in fertiliser-related enquiries as importers and distributors hunt for additional capacity. The new facilities will also accommodate chemical cargo requiring specialist storage and compliance standards, and supply chains that need secure logistics infrastructure.

David Huck, Chief Operating Officer Ports & Marine at Peel Ports Group, was direct about the commercial logic.

"Our customers are increasingly looking for high-quality storage space located close to our network of ports, and demand continues to grow across a number of critical industries," Huck said.

"Having warehousing located close to the quayside enables customers to streamline operations, reduce transport movements, improve speed to market and enhance supply chain resilience," he added.

What does this mean for shippers and forwarders?

For importers and distributors moving fertiliser, chemicals and bulk commodities through northwest England and Scotland, the expansion shortens the distance between berth and stock. Quayside warehousing cuts inland transport movements, reduces handling costs and speeds time-to-market — the classic port-centric logistics pitch, now backed by concrete square footage.

Chemical shippers gain access to compliant, specialist storage without diverting cargo to inland facilities. Defence and other security-sensitive supply chains get infrastructure purpose-built for secure logistics.

The build-out also signals competitive positioning. Peel Ports is stitching together port operations, warehousing and rail and road connections into an integrated offering — a play to capture logistics spend that currently flows to standalone inland distribution centres in the Midlands and beyond.

For rival port groups and warehouse developers, the message is that Peel Ports intends to keep consolidating its share of the UK's port-centric storage market rather than leaving tenants to third-party providers.

A 15-year building programme accelerates

The latest investment extends a track record: more than 1.6 million sq ft of Grade A warehousing developed over 15 years at locations including the Port of Liverpool and London Medway. The new million-plus square feet effectively adds another two-thirds on top of that base in a single programme.

Peel Ports has not disclosed a completion timeline, but the trajectory is clear: as importers prioritise resilience and proximity to ports over cheaper remote storage, capacity at the quayside is set to keep growing.