The Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith, has visited a former Selby colliery set to become a major hub with the potential to create thousands of jobs.
North Yorkshire Council approved the plans for developer Harworth Group to build 1.5 million square feet of industrial and logistics space across seven units, all built to Grade A specification, at Gascoigne Interchange last month.
Ahead of work starting next year, the Harworth Group invited key partners including Mayor David Skaith, Selby and Kippax MP Keir Mather and representatives from North Yorkshire Council to take them through the vision for the site.
Gascoigne Wood is accessible by road via Junction 42 of the A1(M) and the site is also connected to the railway, which will be key for businesses looking for sites with sustainable methods to bring in workers and handle freight shipments.
The site operated as a colliery for decades until it was closed in 2004. So, this proposed scheme has been a long-held ambition and a product of collaboration between the public and private sector to bring investment and jobs to the area by regenerating brownfield sites.
By working in partnership, Gascoigne Interchange has the potential to deliver up to £190 million in gross development value. It can also connect York and North Yorkshire with the wider Yorkshire region and the rest of the UK, with most of the country within three hours of the site, and rail links to ports in the east, west and south of the country.
(Pictured left to right: James Farrar – YNYCA Chief Executive, David Skaith – Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, Keir Mather MP, Cllr Mark Crane – North Yorkshire Council, Chris Davidson – Harworth Group)
David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said: “Public and private sector relationships are essential for our region to reach its full potential. Developers like the Harworth Group are at the heart of our approach.
“It was great to meet with our partners at the site today and see the vision for this major development in Selby, which could create thousands of jobs.
“Gascoigne Interchange is rather unique in that it can connect the businesses that are based here with a low carbon freight terminal.
“This really aligns with our ambitions for green growth and to become the first carbon negative region in England.”
Chris Davidson, director of the Yorkshire and Central region for Harworth Group, said: “Gascoigne Interchange in Sherburn is an exceptional opportunity for North Yorkshire. It has the potential to create thousands of new jobs and help the region’s economy, not least because of the site’s strong rail links.
“It was our pleasure to welcome Mayor Skaith and Mr Mather to the site following their recent election successes and to talk to them about what can be delivered here.
“We look forward to continuing work with local partners to deliver our shared vision for Gascoigne Interchange – with a target of breaking ground next year.”
Keir Mather MP said: “There are few sites more synonymous with the Selby’s area rich coalmining history than Gascoigne Wood, where workers from our communities powered Britain for decades.
“That is why it was wonderful to be here today to hear about plans to make this site a centre of industrial activity once more. I look forward to working constructively with the project to ensure that my constituents feel the full benefit of this new investment.”
North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for open to business, Cllr Mark Crane, said: “Redeveloping the former Gascoigne Wood site into a state-of-the-art industrial and logistics hub represents an exciting opportunity to unlock additional economic growth and bring new jobs to Sherburn-in-Elmet and the wider Selby area. The scheme’s impressive green credentials will also support our region’s journey to net zero.
“Close collaboration with our private and public sector partners has been essential to getting the scheme to this stage and I now look forward to seeing the start of the site’s transformation in 2025.”
Published on Wednesday 24th July 2024