Approval sought for £8m trading estate expansion
Proposals for the £8m construction of three business and warehouse units at Thorp Arch Estate, near Wetherby, have been lodged with planners.
The scheme, called Ash Way V, will comprise carbon net zero units of 19,500 sq ft, 25,091 sq ft and 31,600 sq ft.
If planners back the expansion, Ash Way V will be the latest phase in Thorp Arch Estate’s Ash Way development, which started in 2005 and comprises 25 light industrial units, ranging from 3,000 sq ft to 15,000 sq ft, with one larger unit totalling 31,647 sq ft.
Confirmation of the expansion plan comes soon after the completion of Ash Way IV which features nine units totalling 95,409 sq ft with seven of these, totalling 76,272 sq ft, already let, including to ice bath manufacturer Brass Monkey which relocated to the estate last year.
Tim Munns, director of Wharfedale Property Management, which manages the estate for owner, Patrizia Hanover Property Unit Trust, said: “Thorp Arch Estate, with its green parkland setting and proximity to the motorway network, remains a popular location for new and established businesses despite the current subdued economy.
“If approved by Leeds City Council, these three slightly larger units will enable existing tenants to expand on site as well as meeting the needs of businesses seeking premises of this size and environmental specification who wish to relocate here.
“Ash Way IV is twice the size of the previous Ash Way II and Ash Way III schemes so we are pleased at the lettings achieved so far and envisage that we will be fully let imminently.
Thorp Arch Estate, a former war time munitions factory, which attracts businesses mainly from the York, Leeds and Harrogate areas, offers two million sq ft of commercial premises.
It is the base for more than 180 businesses employing at least 2,000 people.
