McLaren Construction has won a £73m job to build the first phase of a logistics centre in Yorkshire.

The contractor will work on the warehouse project as part of a wider project called Konect 62 – a large logistics and industrial scheme that is notable in that it will be accessible by road, water and rail.

Phase one involves work on 1.1 million square feet out of the project total of 1.4 million square feet, which could increase to 1.8 million square feet according to plans by developer Cole Waterhouse to apply to extend the site. The 1.4 million square foot area has already been approved.

The warehouse – which is being constructed on the site of a former coalmine – will be energy-efficient and built to the BREEAM Excellent sustainability standard. It will also have a high level of power capacity for energy-intensive operations, allowing it to appeal to both traditional industrial and logistics occupiers.

The developer has partnered with London-based private equity firm Henderson Park to deliver the scheme, for which the number of jobs during peak construction is expected to be 150.

Henderson Park managing director Christophe Kuhbier said the project would serve the industrial belt in the north of England and regenerate a brownfield region: “This strategically located site is optimally placed to deliver much-needed capacity into the critically undersupplied Yorkshire industrial market, with local vacancy rates of 2.2 per cent.

“We are confident that the sustainability and technical specifications of the scheme we are developing will appeal to the highest-quality logistics operators, as well as traditional industrial occupiers, who are increasingly energy-conscious.”

Gary Cramp, managing director of McLaren Construction (Midlands and North), claimed the site would be one of the largest logistics units in the region.

“The scale and scope of the scheme will bring abundant investment and employment opportunities to the county’s industrial and logistics market,” he added.

Warehouse construction projects have seen a 150 per cent rise in value, according to Office for National Statistics data. It explained that the trend was down to a surge in online shopping in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In June, tier one contractor Winvic landed a £225m deal to build a warehouse in Northampton, while structural steel contractor Severfield put its strong financial performance down to warehouse and data-centre projects.

John Sisk & Son and TClarke are among the other firms looking to grow their capability in the area.