Extra spaces to extend business

11:53am Tuesday 20th May 2008

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YORK could be set for a fresh economic boost, under plans for new business units near the city centre.

A council planning committee is next week likely to approve an application for seven units at Hazel Court, off Lawrence Street.

The scheme has been submitted by Yorvale Properties, and is for light industry, storage and distribution uses.

No occupants have yet been identified, nor precise staff numbers, but the scheme includes 16 parking spaces and a similar number of bike spaces.

The area around the site is already occupied by a number of business units, and there have been few objections to the scheme.

But the council's own transport bosses are concerned about the cumulative impact on traffic in the area, and now intend to introduce new traffic regulations.

Planning officer Victoria Bell wrote: "There is an existing problem with parking on Hazel Court and therefore to ensure the entrance of the site is clear, highways network management would like to introduce traffic regulation measures as a direct consequence of this development, and therefore a contribution would be sought from the developer."

There is already outline planning permission for industrial development on the wider Hazel Court site.

A Yorvale spokesman said: "Our proposal is for the uses approved in the outline application, and its uses are in accordance with those of the existing buildings that are now on the wider site.

"The granting of planning permission for this development will enable the completion of the wider commercial area in accordance with the council's long-standing aspirations."

The news comes just a few weeks after plans were unveiled for eight new energy-efficient office units at Pocklington's Broadhelm Business Park.

The eight units, which will have a £2.75 million development value and will create 25,000sq ft of new flexible office space, are to be submitted to East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Beverley, later this spring.

The individual offices, ranging from 1,500sq ft to 6,000sq ft, have been designed by York-based DSP Architects, for the Broadhelm Venture.