PLANNERS have given the green light for a new £1.5 million office building in Tadcaster, which could boost the local economy by bringing up to 80 new hi-tech jobs to the town.

Construction will start in January on the two-storey building on land behind Commer House, in Station Road.

The developer is the Commer Group, the investment business headed by entrepreneur Jim Walsh, which has owned the Commer House site for the last ten years, and is now increasing its investment in Tadcaster to more than £3 million.

Mr Walsh said: "The businesses that are already trading from Commer House need to expand in the near future, so we saw this development as an opportunity to make sure that they remain in Tadcaster as well as creating new opportunities to attract more businesses into the town.

"The new building will provide 10,000sq ft of modern office space, effectively doubling the floor area on the site.

"We are particularly keen to attract more hi-tech businesses to Tadcaster, especially young enterprises led by people with vision and entrepreneurial flair.

"Since the arrival of broadband in the town, it is becoming increasingly attractive to this kind of operation, with people who want to avoid the high costs of city locations and want to be able to travel to work without the stress of traffic jams and outrageous parking fees."

Mr Walsh believes its location - just off the A1M-A64 intersection - makes Tadcaster "perfectly positioned" to attract businesses and their staff from Leeds and York in particular, but also from much farther afield.

He said: "Everyone knows that Tadcaster's heritage is all about brewing and, of course, it remains the most important brewing town in the north of England, but I am convinced that it also has a future as a vibrant centre for adventurous, environmentally-friendly, hi-tech businesses, which will give a real boost to the local economy."

The architect is Philip Lees, of SMC Gower, of Leeds.

Updated: 10:55 Monday, October 10, 2005