HUGE interest is being shown in what is described as "the last real industrial land in York", which is up for sale at £2.7 million.

The 2.62 acres, which used to belong to the ill-fated Pocklington Coachworks in Outgang Lane, has been bought from receivers Kroll Buchler Phillips by A1 Plant Haulage York Ltd, of Drome Farm in York Road, Elvington.

Roy Handley, chairman of the successful family firm, which has 15 vehicles, sophisticated building plant, and employs 32 people, had a quarter stake in Pocklington Coachworks when it was manufacturing luxury trailers for Formula One racing teams.

Mr Handley said that he had originally owned the site, but had eventually sold it to Pocklington Coachworks. After the company went into administrative receivership last August, he decided to buy back the acres from the receivers. He would then sell the land to recoup some of his losses.

Meanwhile, he continued to own the neighbouring sites of Bramalls and BSC Filters, on what is appropriately named, Handley Park.

Andrew Hedley, partner at Blacks Property Consultants in Main Street, Fulford, which is handling the sale, said that the land was being sold as one large unit or as four smaller lots, each with a shed.

"There is nowhere else in York where manufacturers can make smoke or noise.

"So I wasn't surprised when we quickly received two firm offers to rent the land from manufacturing industrialists," he said.

He added that there was also an offer from a "transport-related" company to buy one of the plots and an industrial developer had started talks about the possibility of taking over the entire site.

After Pocklington Coachworks crashed with the loss of 46 jobs, its managing director, Fran Johnson, bought the firm's intellectual property and started up a new venture at The Old Stable at Newton Lodge, Newton on Derwent.

His new organisation is legally known as Pocklington Specialised Vehicles, but trades under the Pocklington Coachworks banner.

It continues to design and sell specialised trailers for the racing car world, but no longer manufactures.

Updated: 09:41 Thursday, April 01, 2004