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With demand for “Big Sheds” - units over 100,000 sq ft - remaining extremely consistent in this sub-market, the region presents a compelling opportunity for developers and investors ready to act.
West Yorkshire remains a prime location for strategic industrial investment, particularly in the large-scale logistics and warehousing sector.
Rents rise as supply tightens
The shortage of new development sites has driven rents upward, with prime units now quoting around £9.75 per sq ft, as seen with Baytree’s 145,000 sq ft Leeds unit, setting a new headline rent. This represents rental growth of circa 15% and underscores the strength of occupier demand. As the only BREEAM Outstanding unit over 100,000 sq ft in the county, it also highlights how limited the pipeline is for high‑quality, future‑proofed space, reinforcing the need for further development. West Yorkshire, where the scheme is located, is recording the highest requirements regionally in both the 100 –200,000 sq ft and 500,000 sq ft size brackets.
Traffic light analysis points to structural undersupply
However, supply remains constrained. The latest traffic light analysis, based on a five-year average of take-up including build-to-suit (BTS) units (with green representing less than one year of supply, amber showing between one and two years of supply and red representing over two years) highlights pockets of undersupply across all industrial grade space in West Yorkshire, particularly within the core Big Shed ranges. With two units currently under offer in West Yorkshire between 100 - 200,000 sq ft, supply is set to become even tighter. Crucially, this undersupply is not supported by a meaningful speculative pipeline, reinforcing rental tension in the market. By contrast, neighbouring markets such as South Yorkshire display higher supply levels but lower deal volumes, underlining West Yorkshire’s relative strength.
Despite there being no units over 100,000 sq ft currently under construction in Yorkshire, this reflects a market that has already delivered significant schemes to meet occupier demand. The most recent major speculative completion, Panattoni Central, totalling 768,000 sq ft, now stands as the largest speculatively built shed available in the UK, demonstrating the region’s ability to attract and deliver large-scale logistics projects when opportunities arise.
Land availability becomes the key battleground
The primary challenge lies in land availability. Planning constraints and increased competition from owner-occupiers continue to restrict access to prime development plots. This scarcity is placing upward pressure on land values and making strategic site selection increasingly critical. Developers must carefully consider which size brackets to target and where competition is limited - particularly within the 200 - 300,000 sq ft range, where demand is strengthening but supply remains extremely thin.
In summary, West Yorkshire’s Big Shed market offers a rare combination of strong occupier demand, resilient rental levels and structural undersupply. For investors and developers, this creates an environment well positioned to deliver long-term value and capture premium returns. With the right strategy, those entering the market now can benefit from a window of opportunity that is unlikely to remain open for long.
Further information
Contact Matthew Ewin or Lewis Rapley
Read our Big Shed Briefing 2026, which examines the UK logistics market for units over 100,000 sq ft.
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