Hendy Group has been given a green light to develop two new car dealerships on a site formerly occupied by civic buildings in Eastleigh.
Eastleigh Borough Council has approved the AM100 car retail group’s plan to creae the new facilities off St George’s Way, Eastleigh, at a meeting on January 18.
The site, once occupied by a Magistrates Court building, is adjacent to Hendy’s Villeneuve Way Honda, Mazda and Kia dealerships and close to its FordStore.
Work is due to start on the new development in 2022 with completion expected in early 2023.
It is the latest addition to a Hendy Group business portfolio that added a new Lotus Cars dealership in Exeter and a Karzoom vehicle rental service in 2021.
In late 2020 it also acquired Inchcape’s Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) Arch Concept premium car dealership in Southampton for £29.7m.
Commenting on the group’s latest move to achieve ongoing growth Hendy Group chief executive, Paul Hendy, said the planning permission was “a great vote of confidence in Hendy as a valuable employer in the borough and reinforces the group’s commitment to the area”.
Around 50 people are expected to find employment at Hendy’s new retail site when it opens its doors next year.
“We are delighted to begin 2022 by putting our ongoing expansion plans into action,” said Hendy.
“This new development will transform what is currently unused land to provide valuable employment and enhance our automotive offering locally.”
Hendy said that its new dealership site will provide space for 18 new vehicles in the showroom together with 84 used vehicle display spaces.
A spokesperson for Eastleigh Borough Council said: “This is an exciting development that brings more business investment into our Borough.
“The new Hendy car showroom will provide additional jobs and opportunities for local people. It also brings a vacant brownfield site into viable use, provides economic benefits to the local area and supports an existing business.”
“The Council retains ownership of the site and the business premises will add to the Council’s property portfolio that provides a significant rental income to the Council.”
Last week Hendy told AM that his business's shortlisting for several AM Awards provided him and his team with a ‘tangible chest puffed-out moment’ in 2021.
As AM this month invited car retailers to get their AM Awards 2022 entries in early to kick-off what could become an award-winning year for their business, Hendy underlined the benefits of taking part as he reflected on last year’s win in the Best Used Car Dealer Group category.
Celebrating the motivating effect of recognition from the AM Awards 2021 on the Hampshire-based car retail group’s workforce, Hendy said that the award carried added significance “given the times we found ourselves in”, adding: “This one was special”.
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