Potential jobs boost with proposed business park expansion

Up to 80 more jobs could be created in the heart of Ripon with the extension of an existing business park.

Canalside Developments, which owns Ripon Business Park, on the B6265 Boroughbridge Road, is seeking planning permission to develop a further 25,000 sq ft for light industrial and warehousing use.

The land is currently used by Econ Engineering to store its 900-strong gritter hire fleet, which from next year will move to a new, dedicated site, at Sowerby, near Thirsk.

Canalside Developments launched Ripon Business Park in 2004, and it is now home to a number of long established businesses in 19 units, including Bill Plant School of Motoring and NFU Mutual.

Work on ‘Phase 2’, is due to start this summer, and once complete will see the business park’s footprint increased by 50%.

Jonathan Lupton, Canalside developments director, said: “There is a shortage of good quality, small-scale industrial units in the district, and this is what we will be helping to address with Phase 2 of Canalside Business Park.

“When our MP, Julian Smith, recently visited Econ, I was delighted to tell him about our plans for increasing the business park, and he was particularly interested in hearing it could generate up to 80 jobs.

“The current site has 19 units, which house a variety of different businesses, and when completed, another 16 will be added, taking the total number to 35.

“I’m pleased to say there has already been a considerable amount of interest in the scheme.”