A major developer has increased its investment into a multi-million-pound zero-carbon logistics park by another £20 million.

Panattoni, the largest logistics real estate developer in the UK and Europe, is now spending £170 million on a 644,549 sq ft site in Kemsley, after acquiring an additional 10-acres at G Park Sittingbourne.

Panattoni is preparing to submit a planning application for a 128,050 sq ft unit on the new plot.

Construction of this second phase of development is expected to start in the fourth quarter of this year, with completion due in the third quarter of 2025.

In March, it was announced that Panattoni Park - which will be the new home to a net zero carbon logistics park and the county’s largest speculative property development in more than a decade - would create more than 1,000 jobs.

It is already under construction with the 645,000 sq ft first phase of development at the park, comprising two units of 440,000 sq ft (S440) and 205,000 sq ft (S205).

Completion of these two units is expected in March 2025.

Panattoni Park Sittingbourne, which will total 773,000 sq ft on 36 acres, is targeting net zero carbon development with an expected BREEAM sustainability rating of Excellent and an EPC rating of A.

All units are to be developed with enhanced sustainability measures within the base specification, including the installation of roof-mounted photovoltaic panelling and electric vehicle charging points.

The park is strategically positioned between London and Dover, four miles north of junction 5 of the M2 which means it can provide convenient access to major national and international transport routes, with the port of Dover less than an hour away and easy connectivity to the M2, M20 and M25 motorways.

Major occupiers in the area include Morrisons, Amazon, Evri and DHL.

Tony Watkins, head of development for the southeast and London at Panattoni, said: “This expansion of our site at Sittingbourne reflects the attractiveness of the location, which is suffering from an acute supply-demand imbalance.

“It is part of our strategy to acquire land in undersupplied markets in London and the southeast that offers value-add opportunities”.