Summer start confirmed for construction of brand new business park

Long-awaited work to build a new business park in Pickering, North Yorkshire, is expected to begin this summer.

Planning permission has been granted for 184,000 sq ft of new industrial space, called “Pickering Park.”

The development will form phase three of the Thornton Road Business Park and will be accessed off Enterprise Way.

York-based construction company Lindum Group will develop the site following support from York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Y&NY LEP) and Ryedale District Council.

The scheme is being brought forward after Lindum was awarded £880,000 from the Government’s Getting Building Fund via the LEP. The investment has supported site preparation and infrastructure to enable development.

Lindum development manager, Andy Gardner, said: “We are very happy that planning approval has now been issued and we can prepare to start construction work on site.

“The land is contaminated, and so initial works will include remediation, as well as installing infrastructure to enable development of serviced plots.

“The units will then be built on an occupier-led basis and can be designed to suit a range of business types and built specifically to suit customer needs.

“This scheme would not be happening without support from the Council and the Y&NY LEP and I would like to applaud their commitment to pushing ahead with this development.”

The Thornton Road Business Park is already home to a range of companies and the expansion will provide much needed employment land for northern Ryedale.

Ryedale District Council first started investigating the land for development in 2006, but encountered complexities with contamination and costs.

Council chair, Councillor Janet Frank, said:  “There has been a need for more employment land in northern Ryedale for many years.

“Officers have worked closely with Lindum and with colleagues at the Y&NY LEP to help to secure this investment, which will benefit the area for many years to come.”

On 4 August 2020, the Government confirmed the list of over 300 successful projects, which will receive a share of £900m from the Getting Building Fund. (GBF)

The money was available for investment in local, shovel-ready infrastructure projects to stimulate jobs and support economic recovery across the country.

York & North Yorkshire LEP was allocated £15.4m from the GBF for a wide-ranging package of projects that will deliver a much-needed, post-Covid boost to the local economy.

David Dickson, chair of the York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership Infrastructure & Joint Assets Board, said: “This is an important scheme which will drive economic growth in Ryedale and North Yorkshire.

“There has been a great deal of work by all involved to get to this landmark stage and we look forward to seeing the continued progress of the development.”