Keyland Developments Ltd, the property trading arm of Kelda Group and sister-company to Yorkshire Water, has assembled a project team to prepare a planning application for a new employment scheme on its 53 acre Wakefield East site. The proposals could incorporate some 700,000 sq ft of employment space and bring about the creation of some 1400 new jobs.
Keyland’s strategic site forms the primary employment element of the 375 acre City Fields development. The new £33m Wakefield Eastern Relief Road (WERR) which commenced last month will run through the site and is set to complete in early 2017.
The City Fields development resides to the East of Wakefield town centre and seeks to deliver approximately 2,500 houses, a primary school, health facilities, district and neighbourhood centres and employment space. Miller Homes is about to commence on site with the first phase of 500 homes and the majority of the employment space will be within Keyland’s extensive site, which provides immediate frontage to the WERR.
Keyland has instructed the Leeds offices of Bilfinger GVA and Knight Frank as scheme agents to work as part of its professional team in preparing a planning application for the 53 acre site which is likely to incorporate some 700,000 sq ft of employment space with ancillary uses. The proposals, which could generate some 1400 new jobs, are scheduled for submission in late 2015 with a view to the site being development-ready with planning in place when work on the WERR completes.
Peter Garrett, Managing Director of Keyland Developments Ltd, said; “The vision for the whole City Fields area has been collaboratively developed over a long period of time and now that work has commenced on the road, we can start to fully progress the plans for our 53 acre employment element. With direct access to the WERR, the site is one of the most strategically placed within the region and we are currently working with our team on the masterplan to ensure that the application reflects the requirements of the local marketplace.”
Iain McPhail, Associate Director at Bilfinger GVA, comments; “There is a well-documented shortage of new employment space within West Yorkshire and Keyland’s site has the capacity to deliver some 700,000 sq ft of accommodation with prime frontage on to what will be one of the region’s main arterial routes.”
Nick Prescott, Associate at Knight Frank, continues; “We are delighted to be working as part of the team to assist the development of a well-considered application which maximises the potential of this significant site. Our proposals facilitate increased levels of occupier demand from the local business community and complement the broader regeneration plans for the area.”