Work underway on £7m development scheme in Wisbech that includes Starbucks drive-thru

Work is underway on a £7 million development on a redundant nursery site in Wisbech.

The newly-named Century Place development will include three buildings one will be a Starbucks drive-thru, another a new self-storage facility, and the third a new high bay warehouse, which will be available to buy or to rent.

Charles Morris-Manuel, of the site’s current owners Urban Associates Investments and Trading, said they are delighted to be bringing such a major investment to Wisbech.

Operators for both the Starbucks and the self-storage warehouse have been found, with KBeverage Ltd, which has the Starbucks franchise for East Anglia taking on the coffee drive-thru, and Cinch operating the self-storage.

Charles said Stoke-based Magna Contractors have been appointed to build the three buildings with local contractors being involved in the work.

The site off Cromwell Road was formerly the Parkside Nursery, but has been left as largely scrubland for the past few years.

A new access for the 2.98 acre-site will be created off of New Bridge Lane, and Charles said the development had already been named Century Place.

The development will include a car park for Starbucks which will also have outside seating and electric vehicle charging points. It will be a single-storey building so it does not overshadow the neighbouring bungalow.

There will be separate parking for the self-storage area. Charles said the storage will be individual walk-in lock-ups and will be of high quality.

It is anticipated the new development will create up to 15 full-time equivalent jobs once it is up and running early in the new year.

The warehouse building will have a ground-floor of 2,155sqm and a first-floor mezzanine of 153sqm.

Charles said his firm has been operation for over 20 years and has completed similar development projects across the country.

He explained the company is opportunity-driven matching projects to sites and has completed retail, industrial, and commercial schemes in the past.