Multi-million pound Peak District development could create 100 jobs

How the new development would look

A Peak District commercial property developer has urged its local planning committee to give “wholehearted backing” to a multi-million-pound development project at the Peak District’s largest employment site.

Litton Property Group is drawing up a planning application to redevelop the central area of its Riverside Business Park in Bakewell, potentially creating more than 100 jobs, and says it is vital that it meets the approval of the Peak District National Park Planning Authority’s planning committee.

Litton says the support is necessary to pave the way for a possible grant award enabling a new access bridge to be constructed over the River Wye off the A6.

A grant, of up to £3.4m, has been earmarked by the region’s Local Enterprise Partnership, D2N2, on the condition that the Litton Property Group provides a detailed business plan for its comprehensive £18m refurbishment of the entire site, including the submission of a planning application for the central area.

Litton is looking for approval to extend the Old Original Bakewell Pudding Shop’s bakery with additional premises for gluten free production, the redevelopment of around 57,000 sq ft of part-derelict business space providing three blocks of flexible business units totaling approximately 43,000 sq ft and allowing the refurbishment of the historic Retort House of the old mill.

Litton says the entire job-creating project and the potential construction of the new bridge would be put at risk if the authority’s planning committee fails to give its wholehearted backing. The developer says it has held “successful and supportive” meetings with the National Park planning officers and believes its application to be uncontentious.

The committee has previously refused other redevelopment plans on the site or imposed conditions, forcing the developer to launch two successful appeals.

Mark Twelves, managing director of Litton Properties, said: “We need unfettered planning consent giving us the flexibility to move forward with the development of the site and pursue the offer of the grant award.

“We wish to avoid our third appeal in quick succession on this site which would be inevitable if onerous conditions were imposed or the plans rejected. Time delays created through the costly appeal process would prejudice the award of the grant and the bridge would not be built.

“People agree that a new bridge would be an improvement on existing access arrangements, but there has never been a viable way to fund it until the possibility of a grant came forward. This grant is the only current option available to secure the bridge, so we hope the planning board will take this into account when reaching their decision.”

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