More heavyweight backing for Hull energy park

Alan Gordon-Freeman, chief executive at business support agency Sirius, has lent his backing to the new development located on the former Hedon Aerodrome site on the outskirts of Hull which could create up to 4,480 jobs.

If planning permission is granted by East Riding of Yorkshire’s Council’s Planning Committee in the coming weeks, the energy park will include an energy centre, data centre and disaster recovery suite, space for established and start-up businesses, education, training and research facilities alongside associated short-stay accommodation, an outdoor building materials and testing facility, and sports facilities for the community.

Sirius, which is based in Hedon, was established by BP Chemicals Limited in 1999 to create new jobs in the local area and replace 300 jobs lost when the company’s Saltend site was restructured.

The original aim for Sirius was to recreate the jobs lost at the site through the provision of soft loans to startup ventures from a £1 million fund over a three year period.  The target of 300 new jobs was achieved well ahead of schedule and Sirius has gone on to help create thousands jobs in the Hull, East Riding and York area.

Mr Gordon-Freeman said: “Relocating to the business centre on the Yorkshire Energy Park site will make us sustainable, so we can carry on offering our services. We will be able to do so much more and help more people.”

Meanwhile Ecomotion, a European consortium which designs, engineers and manufactures electric scooters and motorbikes will bring its business to the UK for the first time if the plans for are given the go-ahead.