Happy 10th Birthday Lok’nStore Farnborough

2016 marks the 10th Anniversary of the opening of Lok’nStore’s first purpose-built self-storage facility on Hawley Lane in Farnborough.

Up until 2005, Lok’nStore had usually acquired sites that already had a building that could be converted. For example, an old warehouse or factory could be stripped down, smartened up, and brought back to life. Orange cladding, some new signage, and the construction of a few hundred storage spaces would get a smart new storage centre up and running – obviously, this is simplifying the process of converting an ugly old building into a shiny new Lok’nStore which is extremely complex and possibly involves more work than the construction a brand new building!

Hawley Lane, Farnborough: A game-changer for Lok’nStore

The existing building on the site had stood on Hawley Lane for over 50 years. Its black, rusting corrugated cladding had seen better days, and the plastic cabling business that had been trading there previously; had moved into its own new site in Aldershot. Lok’nStore made the big decision to demolish the building. The site was cleared down to the ground level in 2005 and a new modern building put in its place. The footprint of the new building is bigger than the one that stood on the site previously due to some clever architecture. In early 2006 the new Hawley Lane storage centre opened as Farnborough’s first and only, purpose-built self-storage facility. The inside of the building was completed in 4 phases with the first 150 storage spaces available immediately. As the customer base increased the other 3 phases were gradually completed.

Facts about Lok’nStore Farnborough

• 60,000 square foot of lettable storage space
• 600+ private storage spaces
• 2 lifts with the capacity for an 8-foot long sofa
• 4 floors of various-sized storage spaces
• 20 square storage units
• Huge 800 square foot storage spaces
• 25, 35, 50, 75, 100, 120, 150, 175, 200, 250, 300 square foot lockable spaces
• Large covered loading bays for customer use
• Trolleys for moving goods to customer storage spaces
• Pallet trucks for customer use
• An onsite forklift that staff use to offload deliveries for customers
• Kitchen facilities for free tea and coffee
• CCTV and smoke detectors
• Large customer car park

The successful development and opening of the Farnborough centre which is the first purpose build for Lok’nStore represents an evolution of the business model, creating value through larger new-build centres. It is the first centre where Lok’nStore has managed the entire process of buying the land, gaining planning permission, building and fitting the store. With its prominent design and position adjacent to the M3 motorway it has raised the profile of the whole Lok’nStore brand.’

Simon G Thomas