Huthwaite warehouse used to store PPE during pandemic given new life with 10-year lease

The warehouse, at Units 1 and 2 Fulwood Place, Brookside Way, Huthwaite, was used as a storage hub for the council to keep tens of thousands of items of PPE in the peak months of the pandemic and lockdowns.

However, the council stepped down its PPE operations at the end of June after following the publication of the Government’s ‘Living with Covid’ strategy.

Previous council papers stated the council’s teams supplied the protective equipment to social care, health, education and other services for the first two full years of Covid.

It led to the authority dealing with more than 7,000 requests and distributing more than 2.5 million items across the county and to neighbouring local authorities.

The step down followed a shift in the way PPE is sourced and distributed, with organisations now able to obtain the equipment directly through the Government’s online portal.

Now the authority has approved giving its Huthwaite warehouse new life by granting a 10-year lease for it to be used by a local company.

Papers published by the council confirm the buildings are two semi-detached units altered to create one warehouse unit, with the combined unit being leased out to the business.

However, the papers do not confirm which company has taken on the lease or how much the agreed terms were, stating this is ‘not for publication’, due to sensitive financial information.

In the report, Neil Gamble, group manager for property asset management, said: “The property was occupied by the vouncil in early 2020 to store and distribute PPE during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“However, the property is no longer required for this purpose and is now vacant.

“The council has received an acceptable offer from a proposed lessee for the property on terms which the agent confirms as at market level.”

Matt Neal, council service director for investment and growth, has now approved the lease.

In the report, Mr Gamble confirmed Coun Keith Girling, cabinet member for economic development and asset management, was consulted on the lease prior to it being approved.