First plot sold at former colliery
Property business Harworth Group has sold the first plot of development land at the former Kellingley Colliery in North Yorkshire to CRT Property Developments, a subsidiary of The Coalfields Regeneration Trust.
The sale which is part of the site’s long-term regeneration programme, means CRT has acquired 3.04 acres.
The acquisition which forms part of the main entrance to the site, was the first phase of development following the site’s closure as a working colliery. It plans to build small industrial units totalling 39,000 sq ft to support the growth of small and medium sized businesses.
CRT will now begin preparation work, with construction of the units expected to begin in April with completion scheduled for September.
Harworth will provide enabling infrastructure to accommodate the new employment opportunities and in parallel will begin the wider facilitation of employment delivery on the site through a package of remediation and infrastructure works.
The deal forms a central part of Harworth’s wider redevelopment of the 151-acre site into Konect – 1.45m sq ft of consented manufacturing and distribution space.
It will be the UK’s only inland distribution park offering connectivity through access to the M62 motorway, a strategic rail connection to allow occupiers direct access to all major UK ports with links to Europe and wharf access to the Leeds to Goole canal system.
Following Kellingley Colliery’s closure in December 2015, Harworth took over the ownership of the site in March 2016.
Since then it has demolished all redundant industrial structures including the site’s two former pitheads, while master-planning the site for redevelopment.
It received planning consent from Selby District Council for the redevelopment of the site in 2017 and intends to develop the remaining land over the next decade to bring several hundred new jobs back to the area.
Shaun O’Brien, property investment and development director at the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, said: “We are committed to providing high quality industrial accommodation for SMEs in coalfield communities.
“These areas are often overlooked by traditional developers, yet we understand the importance of these neighbourhoods and the positive contribution they can make to the local and national economy.
“With the right support and assistance, we are happy to play our part in stimulating new industrial development at Kellingley.
“The development will provide much needed floor space to support the creation and safeguarding of much needed jobs and opportunities.
“We are pleased the land purchase has completed and hope to work with Harworth again to secure further opportunities.”
Chris Davidson, associate director of Harworth’s Yorkshire & Central team, added: “This deal is excellent news for all parties, acting as the springboard to open up the site in both providing quality new jobs for local people in quality new spaces whist creating a welcoming entrance to show that employment is coming back to Kellingley.
“The Konect redevelopment has enormous potential to support the rebalancing and decarbonisation of the UK economy and this deal will act as the catalyst to bring hundreds of new jobs back to site as we’ve promised local people.”
Councillor David Buckle, Selby District Council’s lead executive member for communities and economic development, said: “This is an encouraging start for this important strategic brownfield site, which is an important part of our council’s Economic Development Framework.
“It brings much needed small scale industrial units to the district which is a vital resource for the growing enterprise businesses we have in our area and is critical to support the supply chain for larger businesses across the wider region.
“This development demonstrates our district is a flourishing area for new business development.”
