A series of construction contracts creating 30,000 sqft of new employment space is set to give a boost to a major North Yorkshire industrial park.

Five new contracts for new offices, warehouses and a letter delivery office are under way at the 30-acre Thirsk industrial park and one estimate is that it could generate up to 50 new jobs and safeguard 50 more.

Hambleton District Council has set a target of 260 new jobs on the industrial park over the next five years and these contracts, along with negotiations on a secret proposal which could generate 200 more jobs mean that the aims will easily be met.

All the projects are being undertaken by design and build company Severfield-Reeve DesignBuild, a subsidiary of Severfield Rowen plc, based at Dalton Airfield Industrial Estate which at the same time is increasing its own steel output with a new production line, see Factory in line for fast-track completion.

The new design build projects include:

a £1.2 million 10,000 sqft letter delivery office for the Royal Mail

an extra 5,500 sqft of factory space for greetings card manufacturer Talking Picture Cards

a new two-storey 5,000 sqft administration centre for The Order of St John

an 8,000 sq ft warehouse extension to the northern distribution centre of the Royal National Lifeboat Institute and a 1,500 sq ft secure storage unit for specialist medical equipment manufacturer Diagmed.

Severfield-Reeve DesignBuild also erected premises on the industrial park for Sinclair & Wright, Multidrive, Madeira Threads and Hambleton District Council.

Lindsay Ross, md of the construction firm said: "When combined in terms of output and new employment potential, these projects offer a significant lift to this important industrial park and reflect the degree of sound business confidence in the estate at Thirsk and this part of North Yorkshire."

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