Work has started to create 17 units across more than 116,000 sqft on a former Allied Bakeries site in Norwich.

Norwich Evening News: Work has started on creating a 116,500sqft site on a former bakery depot. This is how it will look when finished.Work has started on creating a 116,500sqft site on a former bakery depot. This is how it will look when finished. (Image: Supplied)

It comes after the owners of the bakery depot announced in 2017 that its Diamond Road facility would shut because too much work was needed to modernise it.

Norwich Evening News: Work has started on the former Allied Bakeries depot in Norwich.Work has started on the former Allied Bakeries depot in Norwich. (Image: Archant)

It had produced well-known bread brands including Kingsmill, Allinson and Sunblest, employing 49 people.

The 4.55-acre site was bought for £2million by developer Chancerygate with offices in London, Birmingham, Warrington and Milton Keynes.

Norwich Evening News: Work has started on the former Allied Bakeries depot.Work has started on the former Allied Bakeries depot. (Image: Archant)

The bakery depot was then demolished. When the new site is finished it will have a gross development value of £13m.

The units on the site will range from 3,045 sqft to 19,912 sqft and will be available on a leasehold basis. The development, two and a half miles north of the city centre, is scheduled to be completed by September.

Norwich Evening News: Kevin Rant, site managerKevin Rant, site manager (Image: Archant)

Development director for Chancerygate, George Dickens, said: “Covid-19 has highlighted the importance of the industrial and logistics sector, there is pent-up demand for our high-quality product and this speculative development will provide Grade A space in a market of very short supply.

"Our intention is to deliver a great asset for businesses to enable growth in the region.”

Founded in 1995, Chancerygate is the UK’s largest multi-unit industrial developer and asset manager and the only one operating nationwide.

Norwich Evening News: Work has started on the former Allied Bakeries depot.Work has started on the former Allied Bakeries depot. (Image: Archant)

The company currently has up to three million sqft of industrial space under construction or ready for development across 23 sites ranging from Bournemouth to Edinburgh.

The new site will have parking, loading areas, landscaping and electric car charging points as well as the warehouse units.

"The scheme will allow various employment uses in keeping with the wider estate, including light industry, product development and storage and distribution." stated Chancerygate.

The Diamond Road site was previously a bakery, but was used as a depot since 1999.

Allied Bakeries is part of ABF, Associated British Food, which also owns Primark.