13 March 2007
Batleys are on the move again, down south...
Six years after the opening of Swindon depot - which cemented the company's foothold in the south west - comes confirmation of a new site in the south east, at Gillingham, in Kent.
Just 30 miles from central London, the depot will be sited close to the busy A2 road, linking the capital to Dover.
Scheduled to open in 2007, the new 95,000 square foot depot will occupy a reduced footprint than a traditional Batleys, due to the offices being located at first floor level. The rest of the building will follow suit, with racking one level higher throughout to create a smaller overall floor space within a taller structure.
But it will pack in all the usual departments, plus a pet food warehouse and a delivered pets facility. Outside, there will be parking for 90 vehicles.
The move will complete Batleys metamorphosis into a truly national operator.
Gillingham will be the group's first depot in Kent, with the nearest Bestway home 20 miles away in Croydon. Good road and motorway links (to both the M2 and M20), should see the new depot delivering right across the south east peninsula and well into south London.