More than a thousand jobs to be created at award winning Yorkshire scheme

The joint venture partners behind the scheme said they have agreed the sale of an 80-acre plot to one of the UK’s fastest growing retailers.

The retailer’s name has not been revealed, although they confirmed it is a national firm.

Ros Jones, Mayor of Doncaster, said: “Given the uncertain times we are currently facing, this is welcome news for the local area and wider borough.

“We always said that the DN7 Hatfield Link Road we are building was far more than a new stretch of road from Junction 5 of the M18 to Waggons Way next to the former Hatfield Colliery.

“It is a vital piece of new infrastructure. It makes the Unity Project a reality, delivering thousands of new jobs and homes and major economic growth for Doncaster and the wider region in the coming years.”

Lucy Nickson, vice-chair of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Given the current challenges we face, this announcement is some much needed good news for Doncaster and the region. This investment, in an already exciting scheme, will create hundreds of jobs and be an important boost to the local economy.

“As a region we remain open for business. We are doing everything we can to support our economy and protect jobs and businesses. We are working hard to ensure we emerge from this difficult time as strong as possible, and that we build a prosperous future for South Yorkshire.”

Ms Jones added: “This positive announcement will be the first of many our Business Doncaster team will be supporting the Unity team with in the future. It is just the start of the transformational Unity Project.”

The new facility will be located in Unity’s Connect zone. Unity, which is located at Junction 5 of the M18 at Hatfield, is set to deliver over 2 million sq ft of employment space, 3,100 new homes, a new marina, school, transport hub and a range of open spaces.

Over the next 20 years the development is expected to inject over £900m into the local economy and create up to 7,000 jobs.

Hargreaves Land, the property and land division of Hargreaves Services, announced its joint venture partnership with construction and development specialist, Waystone in 2019.

Stuart McLoughlin, director of Waystone Hargreaves Land, said: “It is fantastic to have secured this deal at such an early stage in the development, demonstrating the strength of Unity’s strategic location.

“The deal accounts for over 50 per cent of currently consented land at Connect and will help unlock the remaining plots for commercial design and build opportunities.

“We will now be working in partnership with Doncaster Council to deliver the required infrastructure to the site to enable construction of the new facility.”