Property agents have been appointed for a key site off the A14 which is set to provide a major boost to the area’s economy.

Avison Young and Rapleys is set to market Gateway 14, a 156-acre mixed-use and logistics scheme at Junction 50 of the A14 at Stowmarket. Jaynic has already been appointed as the developer.

Gateway 14 Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Mid Suffolk District Council, will provide up to 2.3m sq ft of business, logistics and commercial accommodation over the next 10 to 15 years, with the first buildings available in 2021/2. A planning application will be submitted by the end of 2020.

MORE – East Anglian fruit farmers overwhelmed by massive response as UK workers answer call for more pickersStrategic real estate advisor Avison Young has been appointed to market the overall scheme both in the UK and internationally and Rapleys has been appointed to investigate the roadside potential of the site given its immediate proximity to the A14.

A further marketing agency appointment will be made in the near future with local and regional expertise to identify occupier demand in East Anglia.

Sir Christopher Haworth, chairman of Gateway 14, said: “We are moving ahead rapidly with Gateway 14 and realising our vision of delivering a multi-million pound boost for the wider economic area of Mid Suffolk. We are delighted to have Avison Young and Rapleys on board alongside Jaynic to deliver this very exciting scheme.”

Ben Oughton, development director of Jaynic, said it was a “key site” for Stowmarket, and East Anglia as a whole.

“We are seeking to attract a mix of occupiers providing a range of employment opportunities that could create thousands of jobs for the town,” he said.

John Allan of Avison Young and Alfred Bartlett of Rapleys said they were “delighted” to be instructed on the project.

“Our appointment at such an early stage in the master planning of the scheme allows us to influence the layout, mix make up of occupier to reflect the market and more importantly adapt to specific operators’ requirements. We would encourage interested parties to make contact to discuss how they might be accommodated at Gateway 14,” said Mr Bartlett.

The masterplan layout is still being developed, but the site could accommodate logistics buildings of up to 1,000,000sq ft, with roadside uses alongside the A14 frontage, a headquarters office and research and development campus style buildings.

The A14 corridor is one of the principal trunk routes for UK logistics, and a primary route for export to European and world markets.