DEVELOPERS today unveiled a £60 million scheme to create a major new business park - and up to 5,000 jobs - on the outskirts of York.

The Monks Cross Partnership wants to build a "high quality business community of prestige offices" on 40 acres of land to the north of Monks Cross retail park.

It says the site is already safeguarded for development and so does not involve any encroachment into the greenbelt.

It also says its planning application, which will be submitted to City of York Council later this week, could solve a dilemma for the authority on where to site the proposed new Monks Cross Park & Ride.

The council went out to consultation in the summer on several possible Park & Ride locations.

The Partnership site is one of these, but the authority's preferred location is to the south of the shopping park, where a rival scheme for a £50 million Science Park, also creating up to 5,000 jobs, was unveiled in August by a consortium called Oakgate Group plc.

The partnership behind today's announcement involves the teaming up of The Helmsley Group, the company behind the new CPP building at Holgate Park, and developers Hugh Ball and Peter Smith, who were responsible for the Sainsbury store at Monks Cross and the nearby Arabesque House office complex.

Helmsley Group managing director John Reeves said the council had first made an approach in 1999, "asking if we would consider an office development on land we own to meet York's growing demand for high quality office accommodation.

"Having now completed a £3 million programme to create the necessary infrastructure, we are ready to deliver what the council asked for - and more."

He claimed the project was a "comprehensive and visionary scheme," providing the kind of quality accommodation that would attract major employers to the city.

"We know it will receive a warm welcome from those who seek to extend York's reputation as a major commercial centre."

A spokesman for City of York Council said today that, in line with public expectations, the council and its partners were dedicated to increasing and diversifying employment opportunities in the city.

"These are significant applications for developments on land we have highlighted for employment use," he said.

"They now need to go through the rigours of the planning

process."

He added that the authority had recently completed a public consultation on the Monks Cross Park & Ride location.

"The results from this are

currently being compiled and analysed. We are hoping to report to councillors by the end of the month."

Updated: 11:21 Wednesday, October 10, 2001