Associated British Ports (ABP), the UK’s leading port operator, has announced an investment of £15 million to unlock over 40 acres of industrial open storage land across its ports in Cardiff and Newport. This strategic move responds directly to rising market demand for flexible, high-specification logistics space in South Wales.
This marks the start of an exciting new strategy to make ABP the go-to landlord for open storage, with a vast choice across its 21 ports and all four corners of the UK.
ABP is one of the only UK landlords actively investing in bespoke open storage platforms across its portfolio, offering occupiers a tailored solution in strategic port locations with multimodal connectivity. This investment will deliver secure, surfaced, and accessible sites ready for immediate occupation.
Helen Thomas, ABP’s Head of Property, commented:
“ABP is more than a port operator, we’re a strategic landowner and commercial landlord with over 2,000 acres of land in Wales, the second largest landowner in Wales and offering unmatched access to South Wales’ industrial heartlands and the M4 corridor.
“We’re proud to be leading the way in open storage. Few other landlords have the capability to invest at this scale and offer their tenants the flexibility we can. This £15 million investment programme is about unlocking potential, for our customers, for South Wales, and for the UK supply chain.”
The investment will bring forward four key sites, with the first available in Q1 2026. These sites include:
- Queens Road South and Longships Road at the Port of Cardiff
- Atlantic Terminal and West Way Road at the Port of Newport
These locations are ideally suited for sectors such as steel, renewables, aggregates, and logistics, and benefit from direct access to ABP’s port infrastructure, road and rail links, and on-site security.
Helen Thomas, added:
“Our sites are in high demand, and that tells us that the market is hungry for quality, well-connected space.
“This investment marks a significant milestone in ABP’s commitment to supporting South Wales’ industrial and logistics sectors.”
Occupiers will benefit from 24/7 on-site security and multimodal access via road, rail, and sea. ABP’s South Wales ports also offer high-specification equipment for handling bulk and break-bulk cargoes, supported by a team of experienced stevedores.
Jeff Gibb, Lead Property Asset Manager at ABP also highlighted ABP’s collaborative landlord approach: “We take pride in working closely with occupiers to flex and expand their space as business needs evolve.
“Over the past 12 months, ABP has helped several tenants relocate, consolidate, and grow within our Welsh portfolio.”
Kate Openshaw, Associate – Industrial and Logistics at JLL, said:
“ABP’s investment represents a significant opportunity for the South Wales industrial and logistics market.
“We’re seeing strong demand for open storage across the UK – it’s emerging as a distinct asset class due to constrained supply and growing occupier requirements for surfaced, secure and accessible open storage land close to major road networks with rail and port access.
“ABP’s investment in South Wales sets a new benchmark for the sector, offering occupiers a rare combination of scale, readiness, and strategic location with multimodal connectivity.”
