Planners have given the green light for over 600,000 sq ft of employment space in North Yorkshire.
Opus North and Bridges Fund Management (Bridges) have secured planning permission from Harrogate Borough Council for the Harrogate 47 sustainable employment development, on a 45-acre site near Harrogate. The development has the potential to support 2,000 jobs.
In October 2020 Opus North and Bridges acquired the strategic site, located at J47 of the A1(M), with existing planning consent for over 600,000 sq ft of development for employment uses.
The latest planning approval gives the go ahead for a revised masterplan incorporating a BREEAM ‘Excellent’, low-carbon development with over space for office, hi-tech/hybrid and logistics uses, as well as amenity uses.
The development team has appointed contractor GMI to begin delivery of enabling and infrastructure works with immediate effect, which will see the development take shape this year.
Ryan Unsworth, development director of Opus North, said: “This is key for the Harrogate and wider North Yorkshire economy due to its capacity to transform vacant land into office and industrial space for local, regional and national occupiers, and the vast job-creating potential it has.
“The delivery of Harrogate 47 will allow local companies to expand and grow within the region in addition to attracting inward investment into the district.”
Guy Bowden, partner at Bridges Fund Management, said: “Harrogate 47 will support the growth of the local economy by addressing the regional shortages of prime accommodation for key growth sectors like logistics, creative and digital.
“It will also incorporate some best-in-class sustainability features, building on our longstanding experience of sustainable development across the UK.”
Oliver Freer, from CBRE’s Northern Planning Team, who prepared the planning application, added: “This is an excellent result for Opus and Bridges.
“Harrogate 47 is an important strategic employment site that will provide high-quality accommodation for businesses, that will make a significant contribution to both the local and regional economies.”
Appointed industrial agents for Harrogate 47 are CBRE and Gent Visick, with the office enquiries directed to the office agency teams at CBRE and Knight Frank.
