Plans have been submitted for a £200m energy park in Yorkshire, which could create 1,000 new jobs if approved.
Located on a former aerodrome site, Yorkshire Energy Park will be within the boundary of South Preston village, close to the Saltend BP plant, in East Riding.
The land is owned by Hull City Council, which has been working in partnership with developers to ensure the project optimises economic development opportunities for the area whilst also recognising the ecological importance of the site.
Yorkshire-based developer Sewell and Eco Parks Developments Ltd have partnered with London-based Chiltern, a national renewable energy, infrastructure and technology project facilitator, to deliver the proposed scheme.
Chris Turner, chairman of the Yorkshire Energy Park project, said: “With the level of corporate backing already committed to this project, the Yorkshire Energy Park has the potential to provide a major economic, education and training boost to this region and create a project template for the UK’s low carbon industrial future, as set out in the Government’s Industrial Strategy Green Paper.”
Lord Haskins, chair of the Humber Local Economic Partnership (LEP), added: “This is a great day for the Humber. The Yorkshire Energy Park would further strengthen our position as the UK’s Energy Estuary, building on the success of the recent Siemens investment.
“The number of new jobs proposed is transformational and the level of private sector investment and community engagement already undertaken by the joint venture team, and their end users, is further tangible evidence that the Humber is an attractive proposition for investors.
“There have been extensive and constructive discussions by all parties, including statutory agencies, on this important project. I am delighted that the planning application has now been submitted.”
The location benefits from the billions of pounds being invested in North Sea renewable energy generation and brings together low carbon energy generation and storage, education and training, and energy intensive industries on a single large site.
A number of international companies have backed the development including Almax, IBM, L&G Investment Management, SSE Utilities, ZTE, Vodafone, the Association of British Insurers (ABI), as well as local education providers Hull College.
If approved, the park is expected to generate a multi-million pound investment boost for the Yorkshire and Humber economy with every £1 invested expected to have an impact of £3 on the local economy from the construction phase alone.
Subject to a successful planning application, work on the Yorkshire Energy Park could begin in early 2018.
The application has been developed with support from a multi-disciplinary team led by GVA.