CONSTRUCTION work has started on a major distribution warehouse in East Yorkshire.

Chemical company Croda Europe Ltd is investing more than £7million into the fit out of the new 232,150 sq ft site on the Goole 36 Enterprise Zone which is expected to create 200 new jobs.

It will be Croda’s European distribution hub for products made at its manufacturing sites in the UK and outside Europe.

The facility will also house Croda's customer service and supply chain teams as well as a training centre.

Tritax Symmetry, the dedicated logistics development company of Tritax Big Box REIT plc, has now begun construction.

The announcement follows news that investor London Metric Property had agreed a £24 million deal to purchase the site from Homes England and forward fund the construction.

Yorkshire-based GMI Construction has been appointed main contractor and ground preparation is now underway.

Croda is expected to move in by the end of 2020.

An official ground-breaking ceremony took place on site this week.

Freddie Oakey, Associate Development Director at Tritax Symmetry, said it was a "regionally significant development".

"Tritax Symmetry has increased activity in Yorkshire over the last few years and we are delighted to be delivering an important facility for such a prominent occupier. We continue our development of strategic sites across Yorkshire and look forward to delivering more assets of this type in the future.”

Tom Brophy, managing director Western Europe at Croda, said: "The facility has been designed to take advantage of the latest technologies to minimise our environmental impact and offers the most advanced safety features to our warehouse team. This new site will enable us to continue to provide excellent service to our customers and to meet the demands of our growing global business.”

Councillor Richard Burton, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: "We feel extremely proud that Croda's global headquarters are in the East Riding of Yorkshire and we very much welcome their confidence in making this multi-million-pound investment in the Goole 36 site happen."

Goole 36 Enterprise Zone is one of Yorkshire’s largest commercial development sites.

Siemens Mobility recently announced plans to build their £200m rail facility on site covering a 67-acre plot, which will create nearly 700 new jobs, along with a partnership that will build a new rail innovation and enterprise centre.