Contract awarded to turn former waste depot into rural enterprise centre
Craven District Council has signed a contract with Hellifield company Sutcliffe Construction Ltd, to transform the council’s former waste depot at Langcliffe Quarry into a rural enterprise centre.
The North Yorkshire development will create over 26,000 sq ft of new business space, combining the refurbishment of the old traditional stone buildings together with new buildings to provide modern light industrial and office space.
One of the buildings will become a business support hub with shared facilities including a training room, meeting rooms, and space for hot-desking, as well as business advice and support for all businesses within the North Craven area.
It is expected that the development will support around 30 full-time equivalent jobs.
The scheme will also support preservation of the historic Hoffman Kiln and wider site through a long-term conservation management plan.
Paul Shevlin, chief executive of Craven District Council, said: “I’m pleased we have appointed a local company for the construction phase of this important project.
“We know there is great demand for more modern, flexible workspace for new and existing smaller businesses in Craven.
“Providing much-needed additional workspace and high quality jobs in the district is a crucial part of our plans to attract and retain more young people and families to Craven, and ensure our communities continue to thrive.
“This is a tricky site to develop, but thanks to grant funding we have been able to devise a scheme which benefits the local economy but also protects the future of the Hoffman Kiln.”
James Sutcliffe, managing director of Sutcliffe Construction, said: “We’re delighted to have been awarded the contract for the re-development of the Langcliffe Quarry site.
“It’s our first major project working with Craven District Council and we’re looking forward to being part of bringing such an important initiative to the area.
“Sutcliffe Construction has seen a positive period of recent new contract wins, an encouraging step forward despite the changes the Covid-19 pandemic has brought to the industry and the economy as a whole.”
The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014 – 2020, and the Government’s Local Growth Fund, through the York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership.
The York and North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership has approved Local Growth Funding of more than £1.6m to support the costs of the development.
The ERDF provides match funding for the development as well as a revenue contribution towards the delivery of the business support hub. The ERDF funding total is nearly £1.8m.
David Dickson, chair of the York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership Infrastructure and Joint Assets Board, said: “This is an exciting project which will create new jobs, provide new workspaces and regenerate a brownfield site.
“Schemes like this help drive the region’s economy forward, which is vital as we look to emerge from the pandemic as a greener, fairer and stronger place.”
The Yorkshire Dales National Park’s planning committee approved the scheme at a meeting last year subject to outstanding matters, which were concluded and signed off in January 2021.
