1,000 new jobs to be created as plans submitted for £200m Yorkshire Energy Park

Plans have now been submitted for a £200m Yorkshire Energy Park which is expected to create 1,000 new jobs.

The proposed park will be located on a former aerodrome site within the boundary of South Preston village, close to the Saltend BP plant, in the East Riding of Yorkshire.

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.

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.

The site is currently owned by Hull City Council and the developers have been working in partnership with the Council to ensure that the project optimises economic development opportunities for the area whilst also recognising the ecological importance of the 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.

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.”

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.