Work to expand Derbyshire County Council’s flagship regeneration site is due to start next month after a visit to Markham Vale by Eric Pickles MP today (Tuesday 22 April 2014) confirmed Government cash is in the pipeline.
In January, the Government announced Markham Vale was to receive £14.2 million to turn the former Seymour Colliery site into prime economic land with the potential to create more than 2,000 more jobs in the area following a bid drawn-up by the county council and submitted through the Sheffield City Region’s Enterprise Zone.
Added to a £12.5m contribution from the county council’s private sector developer Henry Boot Developments Ltd, the cash will:
• Unlock a further 81 acres of land which already has outline planning permission for development
• Generate a further estimated £82 million of private sector investment
• Create capacity to bring an estimated 2,100 jobs to the area
• Carry out earthworks to prepare the ground for development plots capable of generating up to around 145,000 square metres of commercial floor space, as well as putting the relevant infrastructure in place for gas, electricity and water services.
• Widen the existing Erin Road.
• Build 100,000 sq ft of new industrial buildings
In addition to this investment, a link road will also be built in 2015/16 to provide direct access to the site situated next to junction 29A of the M1. The road is estimated to cost £7.56 million and expected to be funded jointly by the county council and local transport boards for Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (D2N2) and Sheffield City Region (SCR).
Councillor Joan Dixon, Derbyshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Jobs, Economy and Transport, said: “Markham Vale has a key role to play in helping to build a strong local economy in Derbyshire that creates jobs, attracts new businesses and provides a future for our young people.
“Derbyshire County Council has invested more than £60 million in the Markham Vale site since it was first launched in 2000 and we’re pleased the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has taken the time to come and see for himself the great strides we’re making in attracting business and investment to our county.”
She added: “This Enterprise Zone funding will allow us to develop more of the site, giving us the capacity to continue with our long-term vision of attracting more business and industry, creating 5,000 jobs for local people. We’re pleased we can finally start work to prepare the land and get plots in place for further development by March 2015.”
More than 560 new jobs have already been created at the county council’s flagship regeneration site which is currently home to 28 businesses. A further 200 jobs have already been announced with the construction of new buildings underway.
Markham Vale is the only enterprise site in the country covered by two Local Enterprise Partnerships.
James Newman, Chairman of the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, said:
“This multi-million pound investment will help to further enhance the Sheffield City Region Enterprise Zone’s status as the UK’s number one place for modern manufacturing and technology.
“Our continued investment in vital infrastructure, like roads and drains, is helping to bring interest from new investors, which means more jobs and more economic growth in the Sheffield City Region.
“Since the launch of our Enterprise Zone in 2012, 18 new companies have located on our Enterprise Zone with 345 jobs already created on site and around 300 set to be created in the coming months.
“Businesses have been attracted to join our modern manufacturing and technology community which offers outstanding transport connectivity, a highly-skilled talent pool and the best UK Government tax incentives available.”
David Ralph, Chief Executive of D2N2 LEP, said:
“Accelerating development of our Enterprise Zones is at the core of the D2N2 Strategic Economic Plan as they are fundamentally demonstrating the changing industrial structure of the D2N2 area and our strategy to deliver 55,000 new private sector jobs in key industries such as advanced manufacturing.
“Good quality sites, supported by effective infrastructure and a skilled workforce will attract businesses to the D2N2 area, which already provides some of the most innovative and highest quality manufacturing and engineering in the world. This funding will directly accelerate delivery of the enabling infrastructure for Markham Vale leading directly to jobs for local people.”
Work to develop the site will be carried out by the county council and its contractors.
Source: Derbyshire County Council
