First tenant confirmed at huge Isham logistics park

Data storage firm Iron Mountain has been confirmed as the first tenant at the Symmetry Park development near Isham.

The US-based company, which deals with data backup and recovery, document management services and more, has agreed a lease with Tritax Symmetry for 312,000 sq ft of logistics space there.

It will take on unit two when it reaches practical completion in January 2023. It is the largest unit in the current phase of the speculative development, known as Symmetry Park Kettering, just off the A14/A509 junction.

The number of jobs the Iron Mountain unit near Isham will create is not clear.

Phil Shepley, vice president and commercial lead for Iron Mountain in the UK, said: “Our rapid expansion in the UK underlines the demand for our services at a time where e-commerce is at the forefront of the UK warehousing and logistics property industry.

"Growth in jobs and investment into the local economy is key in all of the locations in which we operate and we are looking forward to bringing a range of opportunities such as digital and record management services to Symmetry Park Kettering.”

Cllr Jason Smithers, leader of North Northamptonshire Council, said: “The letting to Iron Mountain is an important step for this key employment site in north Northamptonshire.

"The investment at Symmetry Park Kettering will attract jobs and Tritax Symmetry’s commitment to net zero carbon in construction is in line with our aims of responsible growth.”

When plans for Symmetry Park were first announced Isham residents, who have fought for a bypass for decades, campaigned against them and said they would cause even more traffic misery.

The now-defunct Kettering Borough Council initially agreed with them and refused the bid, only to back down when an appeal was launched because they felt they had no chance of defending their decision.

In 2019 protesters lined the A509 to rally against a second controversial application – largely unchanged from the first – and reacted with fury when the council’s planning committee approved it.

Work is currently ongoing to dual the stretch of road from the A14/A509 junction to the warehouse park, where a new roundabout is also being built.