A £3MILLION commercial development in an East Yorkshire town has begun, and is expected to create dozens of jobs for the area.

The developer Broadhelm Venture is planning to build a courtyard development on Broadhelm Business Park, on the outskirts of Pocklington, featuring nine industrial units.

It will be situated off a new access road, Broadvale Close, which has already been built.

As well as the nine units, a new distribution warehouse for Howdens Joinery and a showroom and offices for Home Fit UK will be built off Broadvale Close, with work on the Howdens buildings already under way.

Jonathan Atkinson, from Broadhelm Venture, explained: “Construction work commenced on ‘Howdens’ in January and the steelwork is currently being erected on prepared foundations. Home Fit UK are due to start construction of their building in March.”

“There’s been a lot of interest in the trade units. We’re expecting to start on those in the spring.”

He says Broadhelm Venture expects to make a further planning application in the near future for another industrial unit development on the business park to “facilitate the current demand.”

He said: “The Broadhelm Venture have made a significant investment in new roads and infrastructure to help facilitate the development.

“The attraction of new business with the potential creation of many new jobs demonstrates the ongoing confidence in Broadhelm Park and Pocklington as a commercial centre.”

This development is expected to be the first of several on the northern side of Hodsow Lane. However, development on the southern side is also progressing. The Brookfield Group, owner of Pocklington Services, off the A1079, is the developer behind the Starbucks drive-through which opened at the end of 2015 and plans are in the pipeline for a further drive-through restaurant adjoining the new Starbucks.

Howdens Joinery is a supplier of kitchens, while Home Fit UK is a home fitting and construction company.