18.07.18
Final plans submitted for rail-connected Yorkshire hub
A 276-acre site in Yorkshire could be transformed into a major rail-connected hub servicing the north of England as part of proposals put forward to Selby District Council today.
Harworth Group, a land regeneration and property investment specialist, submitted an outline planning application that recommends turning Selby’s Gascoigne Wood site in North Yorkshire into a hub that will both deliver thousands of new jobs and link trains to industrial and distribution centres across the UK.
The site includes the existing 124-acre Sherburn rail freight terminal as well as agricultural land, with the whole site benefitting from an existing rail connection that can accept trains of up to 450m in length – as well as being close to both the A1 and the M62 highways.
In its application, Harworth used this existing rail connection as the site’s central asset. The proposal would see up to two million square feet of Class B2 (general industry) and B8 (storage and distribution) space all ready for a range of rail-related activities.
Selby District Council’s leader, Cllr Mark Crane, said Gascoigne has the potential to be “a really significant new investment site” for the whole of Yorkshire due to its “direct rail connections and easy road access.” It is one of the five key sites identified in the council’s Economic Growth Framework as being able to deliver higher-value job opportunities and business investment.
“We benefit from being right at the heart of Yorkshire, and we’re the fastest-growing part of North Yorkshire – it’s really important that the council can build on this to make the most of these new opportunities for people living and working in the area,” added Crane.
Tim Love, director of strategic land at Harworth, added: “The site represents a great opportunity for Selby to leverage its unique locational advantages to create thousands of new rail-connected jobs.
“We have spent a number of months working closely with Selby District Council, North Yorkshire County Council, technical advisors and key commercial agents to formulate a realistic plan to fully account for the constraints and opportunities the site offers, and we look forward to the application being considered as soon as possible.”
Investment in the north of England’s railways will be discussed extensively at TransCityRail North on 4 October this year. Don't miss your chance to attend: visit the event website.
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