Construction has started for the North Queensway Business Park in north-west St Leonards, East Sussex.
The 7.1 scheme is an important part of the new regeneration programme from Sea Change Sussex. It is designed to enable local manufacturing firms to expand, attract companies to the area and create up to 300 jobs.
Sea Change is in discussions with several companies which are interested in buying plots on the Business Park and working with Sea Change to develop bespoke premises to suit their expansion needs.
Walker Construction Ltd has kicked off the scheme by starting work to create a junction and entrance into the site off Queensway (the B2092).
These essential first steps to enable further development of the Business Park are scheduled to be later this summer, 2013. They are planned to be followed by site clearance, construction of an access road within the site, installation of lighting and utilities and, subject to planning consent, development of business premises for participating companies.
The North Queensway site is owned by Sea Change and is the largest currently available which is allocated for business use in the Hastings Local Plan.
It is capable of supporting up to 120,000 sq ft of business floor space, which can accommodate 300 employees.
By boosting manufacturing jobs, it is designed to help rebalance the area’s economy and reduce its dependency on the public sector.
£1.5 million from the Government’s Growing Places Fun is supporting the initial construction works and a further £5.5 million has been allocated from the Government’s Regional Growth Fund towards the Business Park’s further development. Additional investment will come from the sale of plots on the site and from manufacturing companies commissioning properties on the Park.
Sea Change undertook a consultation exercise for the scheme in summer 2012, which revealed considerable interest from the local industrial community.
John Shaw, Chief Executive of Sea Change Sussex, comments: “It’s exciting to see the diggers swing into action on another important project within the regeneration programme. Hastings has a strong manufacturing sector and the North Queensway Business Park will help local firms by creating premises to support their growth plans. It’s also an attractive proposition for companies outside the area: we’re even talking to one on another continent. Bringing companies into the area will provide a further boost to the local economy and jobs.”
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