The company has submitted a planning application for the £65 million ($112 million) redevelopment of the disused Manton Colliery. The development will be built in two phases, with an initial 750,000 sq ft building, which will later be expanded to 1m sq ft.
If planning permission is granted, the centre will open in late 2005 and will take in more stock until summer 2006 when the start-up phase will be complete. B&Q's distribution network consists of six national distribution centres employing 3,200 staff. The new centre will increase staff numbers by 25%.
The colliery is one of 26 sites in the East Midlands covered by the National Coalfields Programme, which helps to regenerate sites and communities hit by the coal industry's decline.B&Q director of logistics Dave Lowther said: "This development is critical to B&Q, being at the heart of our distribution operations for the UK. We've spent two years evaluating locations and designs for this development, and firmly believe the Manton Colliery site is the best for us."
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