70 NEW JOBS EXPECTED AS DELIVERY FIRM SEES PLANS FOR NEW BASE IN WHIPPINGHAM APPROVED

70 new jobs are expected to be created thanks to the green light being given for a brand new distribution centre at Whippingham, which will see Island firm Isle of Wight Distribution relocate from their existing warehouse in Blackwater. Following a surge in online shopping, Isle of Wight Distribution will soon expand to Whippingham Technology Park, creating what agent Phil Salmon has called a ‘fundamentally important piece of logistic transport infrastructure’ – a critical part of the firm’s ability to deliver up to 10,000 parcels a day, or more. The Isle of Wight Council-owned land, on the main road into East Cowes, has been earmarked for employment opportunities since the technology park was first approved, in 2011. The fields, adjacent to GKN, stood empty until 2016, when the arrival of the Isle of Wight College’s CECAMM Centre became the first development. At a meeting of the Isle of Wight Council’s planning committee on Tuesday, Mr Salmon said the firm’s current distribution centre in Merstone was ‘not fit for purpose’ and did not give an easy connection to Isle of Wight ferry routes. Islanders will be pleased to know that the new distribution centre will have a dedicated parcel collection area for customers. Isle of Wight Distribution’s managing director, Anthony Flood, told the committee the company delivers between 7,500 and 10,000 parcels a day across the Island, depending on the time of year, and it works for multinational companies like Yodel, DHL and Parcelforce. Since it opened in 1999, Mr Flood said the company has expanded, buying Acclaim Logistics in 2021 and now with a mainland base to sort and hold the parcels coming over to the Island. Around 130 staff are employed on the Island but it hopes to grow that number up to 200. Planning documents say a total of 4x 40ft lorries will arrive each day, along with 32 parcel delivery vans. Members of County Hall’s planning committee unanimously approved the proposal on Tuesday night, paving the way for construction to begin at Whippingham around the end of March. The plans are the first phase of Isle of Wight Distribution’s development at the technology park, with proposals to build a second larger warehouse behind the first, which is yet to go before decision-makers.   No decision has been made about the future use of the Merstone site.