MORE than 100 new jobs are being brought to York by a £3 million new office development at Link Business Park, Osbaldwick, following its completion by building consultants and chartered surveyors Lightly & Lightly of Clifton Moor.

Two new office units, totalling 22,000 sq ft, are 90 per cent let by Lawrence Hannah and Skelton, York, for Link Business Park Ltd.

One of them is occupied by embedded software solutions provider ETAS Live Devices which has 40 staff. The second unit has been let to another organisation whose identity Link Business Park Ltd is being kept a closely-guarded secret for the time being. It is due to move in shortly with up to 80 staff. The two-storey buildings are the final part in the development of the exclusive business park.

Cyclops Electronics, which relocated to York from Fife, has been based there since 1998 in offices which Lightly & Lightly commissioned and oversaw construction of.

Three years ago, following the success of the original building, the York office of Lightly & Lightly was contracted to design the latest development, from greenfield feasibility drawings to obtaining planning consent and managing the construction, which was completed in nine months.

Link Business Park specified that the new offices should be flexible, providing units from 2,160 sq ft upwards to accommodate start-up enterprises. Some of the new occupants have relocated from elsewhere in York, and only one 2,885 sq ft starter unit remains.

Mike Sinclair, from the developer's agents, said: "We chose Lightly & Lightly for the two new units because of their success with the original offices. The firm is responsive to our needs, imaginative, flexible and cost-conscious.

"The developers didn't put maximum returns first but determined to build high-specification, low-maintenance, quality-accommodation with the type of environment in which they would like to work.

"We sought the best materials, services and contractors all bought competitively and we are very pleased, if not proud, with what Lightly & Lightly has achieved.

"The result of these efforts is that tenants benefit from good accommodation at low rates."

Colin Linley, a chartered surveyor and project manager for the Link Business Park scheme, is an associate director with Lightly & Lightly. He said:: "We were delighted to start on this project for Link Business Park after handling Cyclops' original relocation to this site. We are proud of the quality of what has been achieved which is reflected in how quickly tenancies have been taken up."

Lightly & Lightly, which also has offices in Harrogate and Hull, works regionally and nationally offering a range of services including surveying, property inspections, project and construction management and health and safety work.

Updated: 09:00 Tuesday, July 22, 2003