The Co-operative has started work on a new £22 million distribution depot in north Derbyshire. The 477,000 sq ft facility at Castlewood in South Normanton will create around 340 new jobs and employ a total of some 1,080 staff.
The site is close to junction 28 of the M1 motorway and will take over from two smaller Co-operative food depots in the region - in nearby Alfreton, Derbyshire, and in Bulwell, Nottinghamshire. The group said in a statement that all of those employed a these two sites will be offered jobs at the new depot.
The new distribution centre is expected to be fully operational during 2013, when it will service 529 stores throughout the region, covering Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire. It will have the capacity to deliver around 68 million cases of groceries a year and will handle fresh produce.
The ultra-modern depot will also incorporate several energy-saving and recycling initiatives, including rainwater harvesting to reduce water demand on site and waste-oil burning systems for heat production. LED lighting will be installed to cut energy costs by 60 per cent.
