Business park may bring 2,500 jobs says developer

Property development company the Glentrool Estate Group is planning to transform a 90-acre site at Sherburn-in-Elmet, near Selby, into a commercial centre.

If permission is granted, it is hoped the £50m park will attract entrepreneurs from outside the region.

The planned development, called the Proving Ground, is next to the Sherburn Enterprise Park, which is occupied by major companies including Debenhams, Sainsbury, Optare and Eddie Stobart.

The enterprise park was once part of Sherburn Airfield.

Jeremy Nolan, a director at Glentrool, said: “We are tremendously excited by this development. The success of the Sherburn Enterprise Park has underlined the potential of the location, both in terms of the labour force and transport links.

“Our plans for this site will lead to significant and much-needed inward investment in the area, both during the construction phase and when it is occupied.

“The Proving Ground development will provide modern business accommodation, which will provide a welcome boost for the economy of the Selby district.

“We are still currently in the early stages of the development process and are consulting with local residents, Selby District Council and local stakeholders, to ensure that our plans fit in with their needs.

“We will continue these discussions as our plans go through the planning system, so that as many benefits as possible are created for Sherburn and the wider area.”

Detailed applications for parts of the site could be submitted this autumn.

If planning permission is granted, work could start on the site in 2014.

Coun Mark Crane, the leader of Selby District Council, said: “The proposals for the Proving Ground development are exciting and underline the fact that the Selby district is most definitely open for business.

“We are looking forward to working with the Glentrool team to create jobs and prosperity across our region.”

Mike Dove, a partner with Yorkshire property consultancy Dove Haigh Phillips, added: “This is one of the most significant new development sites in the Yorkshire region, both in terms of the jobs it will create and the inward investment it will attract.

“Occupiers will benefit from a labour pool with impeccable logistics connections. As a strategically important site for the region, the Proving Ground will attract a new generation of businesses.”