New logistics and offices scheme in Harrogate could support 2,000 jobs

Developer Opus North, which bought the land with Bridges Fund Management, plans to build offices and logistics buildings, on the site, to be known as Harrogate 47.

The former agricultural land, located south-west of J47 of the A1M in North Yorkshire, has been allocated as the main strategic employment site in Harrogate Borough Council’s newly adopted Local Plan, due to its access to the transport network.

It has existing planning permission for over half a million square feet of development for employment uses.

Opus North and Bridges will now progress a revised masterplan for Harrogate 47 that they say maximises the job-creating potential of the site, working closely with Harrogate Borough Council and other key stakeholders.

The developer is instructing a consultancy team to prepare a new outline planning application that will be submitted for consideration later in the year.

CBRE acted for Opus North and Bridges, while Gent Visick represented the vendor, a private individual.

Ryan Unsworth, development director of Opus North, said: “This is a site with clear potential to make a significant contribution to the local economy through job creation and also through the delivery of high-quality office and logistics accommodation to meet existing and future market demand.

“With our joint venture partner, we are in a position to bring this development to life and are looking forward to continuing our discussions with both the council and local stakeholders to create an exemplar development to address the local and regional shortages of employment space.”

Guy Bowden, partner at Bridges Fund Management, added: “We believe this important site in Harrogate can play a key role in meeting industrial demand and supporting the growth of the local economy.

Work is scheduled to begin this month on a multi-million-pound project to improve Junction 47 on the A1(M).

Advance preparatory work began last week, with the main construction scheduled to start on 16 September 2020.

Improvements include widening three of the four slip roads onto and off the roundabout to increase capacity. The other major upgrade will be the installation of traffic signals on the roundabout to improve the flow of traffic, addressing the issue of vehicles queuing up the slip road from the A1.

Earlier this year, the leader of North Yorkshire County Council spoke of his ambition to improve transport infrastructure ahead of major developments being built.

Coun Carl Les, inset, said the Conservative-run county council would look to work with its district and borough counterparts as they updated and renewed their local plans.

He said it hoped to launch numerous transformative road and rail schemes ahead of routes becoming overwhelmed with traffic.

Many councils, including North Yorkshire, are criticised for time lags between housing and industrial estates being completed and the necessary transport infrastructure being built as it becomes clear travel networks can no longer cope.

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