Final approval has been given for a new commercial park that will create up to 300 jobs on the Shotley peninsula close to the A14 at Wherstead – and the first occupants have already been agreed.

Pigeon Investment Management Ltd have confirmed that fine wine merchants Lay & Wheeler will occupy the first of four warehouse units to be built off the A137 and Bobbits Lane at Wherstead, which secured the final planning permission needed on Wednesday following approval of outline plans in July last year.

The plans, approved unanimously by Babergh District Council, will see four warehouse units created adjacent to a new services, and feature major £6million upgrades to the A137 roundabouts.

According to the firm, advanced discussions for occupiers of the final three units should be completed soon now that the final planning approval relating to landscaping, layout ,appearance and scale for the 8-hectare site have been agreed.

Work on the roundabouts, which will be changed from the teardrop shape to more traditional layouts, will begin before the end of the year and be completed in January or February.

Work on the Lay and Wheeler unit will then begin in the second half of 2022 with the rest completed in 2023.

The northern portion of the site will be used for landscaping, while an agreement has also been reached with the parish council for measures to tackle anti-social motorcycle use in the area.

Cllr David Busby said: "I am pleased to see the developers have worked closely with the parish council to resolve the issue of the motorcycles which have been a bane on the lives of residents in that particular area for many a year."

Andrew Fillmore, from Pigeon, cited the surge in demand for warehouse space fuelled by the rise of online shopping.

He said the development will provide "much-needed high quality, bespoke, logistics space in a key transport corridor which will create circa 300 full time jobs," as well as "upfront infrastructure investment of £6million to deliver highway improvements and the necessary services, with a total construction spend estimate of £20m".

The 75,000 square foot warehouse, which will be owned and operated by Lay & Wheeler, will be temperature and humidity-controlled to ensure perfect conditions for the storage of fine wine, under the strictest security protocols.

Environmental sustainability will be an important focus, including the use of photovoltaic panels, rainwater harvesting and EV charging points. Lay & Wheeler will also build a cycle shed, to support employee health and wellbeing, as well as to encourage green modes of transportation.

The site will feature a multi-floor head office, with extensive team facilities, and an on-site photography studio for fine wine.

Katy Keating, Managing Director, said: "We're thrilled to be able to invest in Lay & Wheeler as we continue to focus on delivering best-in-class service and reaching our full potential. We've been in East Anglia since 1854 and are proud to continue to call it home."

Lay & Wheeler has worked with London City Bond (LCB) as a trusted partner for over twenty years, and LCB will support its transition into the new home, beginning mid-2022.

The company is one of the UK's oldest fine wine merchants and has been trading for more than 165 years.