Hull family business J.R. Rix & Sons Ltd has acquired an 11-acre industrial site on Hedon Road for a seven-figure sum.
The company, based in Two Humber Quays on Hull’s waterfront, has purchased Kingston Parklands – the site of the city’s former maternity hospital – from commercial developer the Horncastle Group PLC.
The move sees J.R. Rix & Sons build on its assets in the east of the city which also includes Kingston International Business Park – Hull’s largest multi-let industrial park – which it acquired in 2019.
Initially, the new site has attained temporary planning permission for external storage, but is earmarked for future development as an industrial and logistics hub.
Mike Fry, Director of Estates at J.R. Rix & Sons, said the acquisition represented a commitment by the business to ‘build for the future’.
He said: “Rix is well known for its petroleum, shipping and leisure home manufacturing businesses, but what is less well known is that the company has significant property interests in Hull.
“This latest acquisition signals our intent to build on that and provide the type of commercial developments that businesses in the city need to thrive, create jobs, and grow the local economy.”
Mike added that the company was already seeing opportunities in the market place, and these are expected to grow as work on Hull’s road infrastructure continues to open up the east side of the city.
“With the upgrades to Castle Street now well underway, we are expecting demand along the Hedon Road corridor to increase significantly moving forward,” he said.
“Given the site’s proximity to the ports, it is likely it will be developed as a state-of-the-art industrial, manufacturing and logistics hub.
“The Humber ports complex handles 12% of the UK’s seaborne trade, making it one of the country’s most important strategic locations for international trade.
“As a result, this site will suit growing businesses, especially port users, looking to upscale their facilities. It has the flexibility to be developed for a single occupier or multiple occupiers and once developed, will constitute some of the highest quality commercial space in the city.”
The former maternity hospital opened in 1929 and served the people of Hull and East Yorkshire until 2003, when it closed its doors for the last time.
The site has since been cleared in preparation for development and was acquired by the Horncastle Group PLC in 2021.
Tom Horncastle, Managing Director of the Horncastle Group, said: “We’re delighted to have completed this deal with J.R. Rix & Sons Ltd.
“Kingston Parklands is a fantastic development opportunity that will significantly enhance the attractiveness of the east of the city to major industrial and manufacturing businesses.
“We look forward to recycling the proceeds into our exciting pipeline of opportunities across the region and the wider UK.”
