“We are a polluter,” said Ken Hall, vice president of Prologis told delegates. “We recognise that we have a responsibility.” Prologis along with other leading developers, has been developing more environmentally friendly warehouses.

Professor Alan McKinnon, director of Logistics Research at Heriot -Watt University, told delegates that at any given time, there is £460m worth of freight in transit on UK roads.

The government must speed up its plans for introducing road pricing, according to a new report from the CILT (UK). It said it welcomes the government’s commitment to road pricing as being the only effective way to tackle congestion.

On the road and in the warehouse, the pressure is mounting to be more environmentally friendly. Later this year there will be the introduction of a tough new regime for exhaust emissions from trucks with the Euro 4 legislation.

Structural steel costs are predicted to increase by around 8-10 per cent this year, which is likely to lead to an increase in rent levels for new buildings.

ProLogis has signed new lease agreements totalling approximately 900,000 sq ft of space in the United Kingdom.

Pavers Shoes, a York based family-owned business founded in 1971, is set to double in size thanks to the completion of a new £3.5m distribution centre in Upper Poppleton, near York.

Shepherd Developments and Eden Park Developments, have selected placed a contract with Clegg Construction to speculatively build a 3,800 sq m (41,000sq ft) industrial/warehouse building with 8m eaves.

Several speculative developments in the Midlands are due for completion shortly giving occupiers even more choice.

Plans for a up to 41,805 sq m (450,000 sq ft) of industrial and distribution space at the 7.23ha (17.86 acre) plot on the 12.14ha (30 acre) former Cransley Iron Works outside Kettering in Northamptonshire have been lodged with the local planning authority