From vision to viability – creating a working facility

In the last issue of the Movers and Storers Magazine, Christopher Betts charted the establishment of George Street Self Storage. In Episode 2, he tells how the idea for MoorSpace was turned into a working facility.

When we concluded Episode 1 in the previous issue of the magazine, MoorSpace existed as a clear idea. The building was there, the vision was there – and the timing finally felt right. What came next was the part people don’t always see: turning that idea into something real. Planning is one thing. Delivery is another entirely.

Step change in scale

MoorSpace wasn’t just another development. It was a step change in scale, in investment, and in how the business would operate going forward. The decision to work with Kuboid came after attending the FEDESSA conference in Dublin. Up until that point, Christopher had always delivered projects in his own way, using trusted contractors and keeping everything close to hand. Speaking to people at the conference gave him a different perspective on what was possible. Kuboid stood out for being honest, straightforward and clear in how they worked.

Working with Kuboid meant handing over a large part of the project to a single company delivering the full design and build. Instead of being on site making decisions day to day, the process became more structured and less reactive. Changes could not just be made on the spot – they had to go through drawings and approvals. “When you are used to controlling every detail yourself, stepping back, even slightly, is a challenge. But it also forces you to trust the process and the people involved.”

Although Kuboid was responsible for the overall design and build, it was important to bring in local expertise where it mattered – a local company was chosen for the CCTV and alarm systems. That balance between a national specialist and trusted local contractors proved to be the right approach.

Alongside the build itself, compliance quickly became a major part of the process. Fire safety, building regulations, access control and insurance requirements are not just boxes to tick – they shape the entire design of the facility. "If there is one thing I wish I had fully appreciated at the start, it is how early those considerations need to come into the process."

In-house support

Throughout all of this, Christopher was not working alone. Dave Crane had joined the business in his first year when MoorSpace was just an idea.

"I remember the moment clearly. He came into the office one day and I said to him, I am going to set up an indoor self storage facility, it will not be the biggest in Huddersfield, but it will be the best."

Dave has since been pivotal in the evolution of MoorSpace. While Christopher focused on pushing the concept forward, Dave maintained and worked on the wider commercial property business. He also took ownership of key parts of the build: organising the slab testing required for the mezzanine, arranging for the internal painting of the building before the build began, dealing directly with Penny Hydraulics to source and install the lift, and making the initial contact with Huddersfield Town, which has now developed into a strong partnership. "Looking back, his role has gone far beyond what we originally brought him in to do."

Branding – and the next stage

At the same time as building the facility, a decision had to be made about the future of the brand. The name George Street Self Storage could not continue – it was not designed to scale and was tied to a specific location. Rather than starting again entirely, the hexagon logo and bright green colour were retained but refined into something cleaner and more modern, something that reflected the level of facility being built. MoorSpace is not a replacement for George Street. It is the next stage of it.

As the build progressed, there was a moment where everything shifted. The layout made sense, the structure was in place, and it started to feel real. That is when it moved from being a project to becoming a business. The biggest lesson from this stage is that simplicity is still key, but achieving simplicity is not simple. You do not have to do everything yourself to maintain standards – knowing when to step back and allow specialists to do what they do best is part of growing properly.

Read the story in the Magazine.