British Land secures planning approval for ultra-low carbon logistics hub in London

British Land has secured planning approval for an ultra-low carbon logistics hub at 5 Kingdom St., Paddington Central, London. The 121,000-square-foot facility will provide inbound access to HGVs with outbound deliveries via smaller electric vehicles and electric cargo bikes.

The former Crossrail works site will serve the whole of Westminster and will remove around 100 large vans from the borough’s roads every day, reducing annual carbon emissions by up to 90 percent. The hub is expected to save three times the carbon absorbed by all the trees in Hyde Park.

The announcement follows the recent publication of research by Centre for London and University College London, commissioned by British Land in response to the demand for last-mile deliveries in city center locations.

London was identified as particularly challenging when it comes to urban logistics: its center is distant from out-of-town hubs and traffic congestion often leads to delays, while larger vans