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McLaren to turn Heathrow post-war buildings into logistics hub
Cristina Lago Deputy Editor
A CGI of the new logistics hub that McLaren will build for Heathrow (Image: McLaren)
Heathrow Airport has appointed McLaren Construction to design and build a new logistics centre at its Eastern Business Park.
The 9,500 sq m scheme will involve redeveloping the 1.6-hectare site to contain four warehouse buildings, each split into eight segments. The 32 units will range in size from 200 to 400 sq m.
The original buildings at the Eastern Business Park were constructed after WWII and are among the oldest in the Heathrow estate.
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They were demolished earlier this year to make way for the new development that will be used by a variety of small and medium-sized airport-related businesses.
The scheme is one of Heathrow's 14 ‘spotlight projects’, including terminal spaces, surface access and car parks, exploring new approaches to using lower-carbon materials. It will also use solar PV panels to generate over 700kWh of electricity every year to be used on site.
Airport operations constraints
McLaren said that the logistics hub's design allows most elements except footings and drainage to be manufactured offsite. The steel frame will be preassembled in factory, stripped down for transport and erected on site.
The contractor said it has developed "a unique methodology" to work within the airport's obstacle limitation services, which impose height restrictions to ensure safe flight landing of aircraft operations, during the 12–18-month construction period.
McLaren Construction’s managing director for industrial and logistics, David Gavin, said: "These new Grade A warehouses represent a major transformation from the site's post-war buildings. Their sustainable design highlights how far industrial development has moved on, and they now form an integral part of the airport’s infrastructure."
Alistair Awcock, infrastructure director for Heathrow Airport, said: "This infrastructure investment will provide prime logistics accommodation to our Heathrow partners, whilst modernising, strengthening and adding capacity to our perimeter property portfolio, supporting our customer strategy."
The project is due to be completed in Summer 2026.
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