Caddick Completes Schneider Electric’s £42m Net Zero Facility

Caddick has reached completion of Schneider Electric’s new £42m advanced manufacturing facility at Scarborough Business Park, which is set to accelerate the UK's transition to net zero and bring a significant number of jobs to Yorkshire’s green economy.
Now open, the new 180,000 sq ft development represents an important milestone for Yorkshire-based property specialist Caddick, which was responsible for designing, developing and constructing the highly-sustainable project in close partnership with Schneider Electric, the global leader in energy transformation and management.

An opening event held earlier today was attended by some of the region and country’s most senior figures, including York and North Yorkshire Mayor David Skaith and Labour MP for Scarborough and Whitby, Alison Hume. Speakers included Kelly Becker, President at Schneider Electric UK and Ireland, Belgium and Netherlands; David Pownall, Vice President – Services at Schneider Electric UK and Ireland; Lord Harrington, Chair of Make UK, and French Ambassador for the UK, Hélène Deschênes.

Work began at Scarborough Business Park last year, with Caddick having acted as principal contractor throughout construction. The state-of-the-art facility is targeting BREAAM Excellent in operation, through its use of measures such as solar panels covering 50% of its roof and the development of one of the UK’s first fully-electric paint lines, supporting decarbonised operations.

The new facility will achieve net-zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions thanks to its advanced Building Management System featuring automated heating and cooling and intelligent light sensors. The facility’s products will also support renewable energy sources, electric vehicles, and intelligent, energy-efficient buildings.

The new plant is three times the size of Schneider Electric’s long-established Scarborough premises and has facilitated the creation of a significant number of jobs in addition to Schneider’s existing workforce of 450 employees in Scarborough.

Designed to align with York and North Yorkshire Mayor, David Skaith’s ambitions to establish England’s first carbon negative region, the new development encourages sustainable commuting thanks to its 30 EV chargers, cycling infrastructure and a new bus route. Caddick has also enhanced local biodiversity by prioritising retention of trees and worked closely with Natural England, contributing towards habitat creation for protected species.
Working alongside sister companies, Caddick Developments and Caddick Construction, the Group’s specialist facade contractor, CCL Facades, also delivered the curtain walling, aluminium windows and external glazed doors.

Paul Dodsworth, Group Managing Director of Caddick Construction Group, commented:

“We are very proud to have played a central role in helping to establish North Yorkshire as a clean, innovative and future-facing region. As leaders in digital automation and energy management, Schneider Electric are a vital part of the UK’s manufacturing landscape and as a proud Yorkshire employer ourselves, we share their commitment to the ongoing success of the region.

“Working alongside our colleagues at Caddick Developments, and our specialist facade partners, CCL Facades, we have taken this new development from beginning to end with exceptional results - a mark of the synergy and collaboration that we have fostered across the Caddick group of companies.”Paul Dodsworth, Group Managing Director of Caddick Construction Group

Alistair Smith, Director at Caddick Developments, added:

“We’re very excited to officially open the new Scarborough Business Park site and mark a significant milestone in our partnership with Schneider Electric. Demonstrating a significant commitment to the region’s net zero transition, the deal to create this facility was one of the most significant transactions in Scarborough’s recent history. We’re looking forward to continuing to work closely with Schneider Electric, North Yorkshire Council, York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, and other partners, to maximise the opportunities that our wider Scarborough Business Park site presents.”“We’re very excited to officially open the new Scarborough Business Park site and mark a significant milestone in our partnership with Schneider Electric. Demonstrating a significant commitment to the region’s net zero transition, the deal to create this facility was one of the most significant transactions in Scarborough’s recent history. We’re looking forward to continuing to work closely with Schneider Electric, North Yorkshire Council, York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, and other partners, to maximise the opportunities that our wider Scarborough Business Park site presents.”Alistair Smith, Director at Caddick Developments

Clement Grunwald, Plant Director at Scarborough Business Park, said:

“Our state-of-the-art smart plant reflects our commitment to innovation and sustainable operations. Building on the wealth of skills and expertise we have in Scarborough, the increased capacity will enable us to support the UK’s move to cleaner energy, and we’re looking forward to welcoming customers onsite so they can collaborate directly with our R&D, design, and engineering teams.” Clement Grunwald, Plant Director at Scarborough Business Park