Members of the newly formed North Yorkshire Council have toured a construction site in Pickering as work to create a major new industrial park gathers pace.
York-based Lindum Group hosted the visit to update councillors, officers and the York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Y&NY LEP) on progress at Pickering Park.
It comes two weeks after planning permission was granted for nine more industrial units at the site, which will form phase three of the Thornton Road Business Park. The council will buy and let the units once they are completed.
Site preparations and infrastructure work began in September 2022, after Lindum was awarded £880,000 from the Government’s Getting Building Fund via Y&NY LEP. Now detailed planning permission has been granted, construction work on units ranging in size from 1,500 sq ft to 3,000 sq ft will begin shortly.
Lindum development manager Andy Gardner said the site is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
“It was fantastic to show everyone how work is progressing and for the LEP to see the site coming to life,” he said. “The land was contaminated, and so initial works have included remediation, as well as installing infrastructure to enable development of serviced units.
“This scheme would not be happening without support from the Council and the LEP and I would like to applaud their commitment to pushing ahead with this development.”
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for open to business, Cllr Derek Bastiman, said: “This development is a fantastic example of what can be achieved through collaborative working.
“Supporting new businesses and helping to grow North Yorkshire’s economy is a key aim of our new council and I am really pleased that in Pickering we will be able to provide purpose-built units for new and expanding businesses in the local area.
“It is my vision to see units like these developed across the whole county so we can give young entrepreneurs the chance to get on the workforce ladder in start-up businesses.”
David Dickson, chair of York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership’s Place & Infrastructure Board, said: “We committed investment from the Government’s Getting Building Fund to this scheme to unlock the economic potential of the site. We’re really pleased to see the progress at Pickering Park, which will bring much-needed employment space to the area.”
