Worcester planners will be asked to give the go ahead for the development of urgently-needed employment land when the city council’s planning meeting meets on Thursday, February 18.
Worcestershire developers Maximus have applied for outline planning permission on a 19 acre site which could see the creation of several hundred jobs.
The Blackpole site is just off Junction 6 of the M5 near Worcester and the developers are already reporting strong interest from owner-occupiers.
The city has lost over 60 hectares of employment land to housing redevelopment in locations such as Diglis and Gregory’s Bank.
Maximus managing director Jon Hickton said the application to develop the land addresses what he considers is an imbalance in the use of land identified under the 2009 Green Belt Review.
He said a number of the sites identified in that review had been taken up by housing, retail or mixed use schemes.
Worcester City Council’s Employment Land Monitor, produced in 2013, noted that, with the exception of the Great Western Business Park development on Tolladine Road which was completed in 2009, “there has been little employment land completed in the city in recent years”.
Mr Hickton said he was hopeful that the Blackpole site Maximus has identified could go some way to alleviating the demand for and pressure to produce employment land in the county.
“This application addresses the employment land issues facing Worcester City Council and is for a site of strategic importance for the county’s job creation agenda.
“There is a very strong demand for both distribution and manufacturing sites on the M5 corridor and we have already received strong interest from a number of owner-occupiers,” he said.
The application will be considered just days before the anticipated adoption of the South Worcestershire Development Plan. The plan put forward by Worcester City Council, Malvern Hills District Council and Wychavon District Council sets out a long term vision for south Worcestershire and includes plans for 28,400 new homes as well as land for retail and employment – across the three council areas.
But Mr Hickton said the Worcester contribution to employment opportunities was largely retail focused and there was an urgent need to recognise the demand for commercial and industrial space.
“What we are seeking is outline planning permission to develop a total of 200,000 sq ft which could be taken up by a major occupier or, more likely, by owner-occupiers seeking units of around 40,000-60,000 sq ft,” he said.
“We would argue that there are no sites of this kind available for employment land in Worcester City Council current plans, and we are very hopeful that this application will be regarded favourably.”
Maximus is a privately owned property development and investment group launched in 2001 which has experienced rapid growth and success over the past 14 years.
Notable developments include Topaz, the 44,700 sq ft office park near Junction 1 of the M42 at Bromsgrove, the Quartz Point business park near Junction 6 of the M42 at Solihull, and the 40,000 sq ft speculative office scheme Wildwood Triangle, off Junctions 6 and 7 at Worcester.