Manheim has announced plans to relocate its Leeds Commercials auction operation to its 10-acre Shepshed site as a centre of excellence for commercial vehicles.

The proposal has been made following a period of significant growth in the company's commercial vehicle auction business, as a lack of space at the Leeds site means it is unable to be extended to meet increasing volumes.

The Shepshed site first opened in the 1970s, but its last auction was held in 2012 when the centre was mothballed in favour of a new multi-million pound supercentre that opened in Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire.

Manheim is proposing to commit a seven-figure sum to recommission the Shepshed premises as part of a nationwide investment programme for its 18 auction centres.

If the proposal goes ahead, Manheim Shepshed would be the first commercial vehicle auction centre in the UK to benefit from the investment in a new arrival process, which minimises the number of vehicle movements on site.

The commercial vehicles flow from valeting to inspection to imaging to being parked ready for auction in one seamless process. Traditionally, this would have taken four or more individual movements of each vehicle on site.

Since Manheim last sold vehicles at Shepshed, the investment and growth in online buying has been significant.

This year, 30% of all vans and 65% of all trucks sold by Manheim across the UK are bought by buyers from the comfort of their own offices or homes.