1.1 million sq ft employment scheme approved
Permission has been given for the next stages of a major employment development, close to Junction 36 of the M1 in Barnsley.
Listed firm, Harworth Group, which regenerates land and property for development and investment, has received consent for phases two and three of its Gateway 36 development.
Barnsley Council has given the go ahead for up to 1.1m sq ft of new employment space across 95 acres of land, with the proposed units in both phases suitable for light and general industrial use as well as storage and distribution.
Consent was also granted for a new link road to serve phase two, alongside a new roundabout on the Dearne Valley Parkway with an arm to the north to serve phase three.
The latest stage of the scheme is intended to build on the the success of the first phase of the site, which saw Harworth directly developing 145,248 sq ft of employment space between 2015 and 2018, comprising four industrial/warehouse units and one drive-thru retail unit.
These units were leased on a long-term basis to Barnsley Council, Motor Depot and Fieldrose prior to their profitable sale to clients of Mayfair Capital in August 2018.
All three phases of Gateway 36, alongside nearby employment and residential land, have been unlocked as part of a £17.1m funding package from the Sheffield City Region Investment Fund (SCRIF).
This investment has already funded key improvements to Junction 36 of the M1 to facilitate development, including a dedicated lane from the M1 slip road, preventing queues backing onto the motorway, cutting local traffic jams, and improving bus journey times.
Peter Henry, regional director for Yorkshire & Central at Harworth Group, said: “Receiving this consent following months of detailed work between Barnsley Council and ourselves is a major milestone.
“The region’s lack of well-connected employment space close to the motorway network is well documented and we hope to bring both phases forward as quickly as possible to bring new investment and jobs to Barnsley as we did with phase one.”
Joanne Neville, planning manager at Harworth Group, said: “As for our other major schemes across the North of England, the ongoing development of Gateway 36 is strongly supported by a robust public-private partnership.
“In this case it is both Barnsley Council’s desire to bring further high value employment to the Borough and Sheffield City Region’s long-term funding commitment to unlock land to support this aim.
“Phase two and three of Gateway 36 could deliver up to 2,500 new jobs and I look forward to the team making this happen.”
