Business park expansion expected to boost employment
Construction work is underway on a multi-million pound extension to a business park on the outskirts of York.
The £3.3m scheme at Northminster Business Park, close to York Outer Ring Road, will redevelop three former agricultural grain stores and machinery sheds, into high-specification industrial units.
The former agricultural buildings, on land accessed by Cropton Road, south of the estate’s new, purpose-built DPD distribution centre, became redundant after the landowner sold most of the adjoining farmland to City of York Council for a community woodland.
Business park owner, Northminster Properties Ltd, was granted planning approval for their refurbishment and change of use for storage and distribution, general industrial and business use by City of York Council last September and acquired the buildings in November.
The redevelopment, which started this month and will complete in September, has the capacity to bring 40 new jobs to the business park.
Civil engineering work will extend Cropton Road, expanding the southwestern end of Northminster Business Park.
The scheme, to be called Cropton Court, will create one unit of 6,000 sq ft and two of 8,000 sq ft available for sale or let.
Construction of Cropton Court is being managed for Northminster Properties Ltd by York-based property consultants and building surveyors, LHL Group.
One of two York contractors appointed to the scheme, B Jeffrey Construction, Clifton, will carry out groundworks, including extending Cropton Road; measures to reduce surface water and lay new external areas, yards, and car parking for the three refurbished units.
Meanwhile, Elvington Park Building Services, Elvington, which previously worked with Northminster on the redevelopment of The Lodge and Extern at St Joseph’s Convent York, will refurbish the buildings.
Northminster Properties managing director, George Burgess, said: “We are happy to be bringing these redundant buildings back into use, delivering a sustainable expansion to Northminster Business Park and providing much needed accommodation for local businesses.
“We are receiving a high level of interest, even before work started on site, showing strong pent-up demand in the York economy for quality business units.
“It is also pleasing that we have been able to appoint two York contractors, ensuring local businesses will also benefit from this development through its construction.”
Northminster Business Park, which was acquired in 1995, has been developed as the base for more than 50 companies employing over 1,000 people, including Unilabs, DPD, McCarthy & Stone, Pavers, IQ Engineering, PPS and Torque Law.
Agents for the scheme are Paul Mack of GV & Co and Matthew Tootell of Bowcliffe Chartered Surveyors, both of Leeds.
