Sheffield-based Henry Boot said on Tuesday that HBD, the group’s property investment and development arm, in partnership with St John’s College Cambridge, has secured an outline planning consent for Freeport 36, a significant industrial and logistics scheme at Goole.
It is anticipated that the first phase of Freeport 36 will deliver £130 million gross development value (GDV).
The consent allows for the creation of a 5.5m sq ft high quality, sustainable industrial and manufacturing park, with buildings ranging from 40,000 sq ft to over 1,000,000 sq ft.
It is expected to create around 3,000 jobs in the local area, and 5,500 in the wider Yorkshire and Humber region. The Biodiversity Net Gain calculation forecasts over a 10% net gain for surrounding habitats.
The 300-acre site is located adjacent to Junction 36 of the M62 with convenient access to Goole Docks and the M18. The Humber Ports complex, which includes the four major ports of Hull, Goole, Immingham and Grimsby, is the busiest port complex in the UK. It handles approximately 17% of the nation’s trade and is located within a four-hour drive of about 80% of the UK’s population.
The site forms part of the Humber Freeport Goole tax site, which has already been officially designated following review and approval by the Treasury and HM Revenue & Customs.
Henry Boot CEO Tim Roberts said: “Manufacturing and logistics hubs are a critical part of enabling business and economic growth across the country and HBD is bringing forward another large-scale project to support commerce in the Yorkshire region. The location and sustainability credentials of the development will attract high-quality, long-term occupiers in their own right, while advantages of the the scheme’s strategic positioning within a freeport tax site will act as a further draw.”
Suzie Wood, Head of Investment Property at St John’s College, Cambridge, said: “The approval of the planning application is an exciting step forward to delivering a state of the art Industrial and Manufacturing Park within the Freeport tax zone. We are excited by the potential of the park to bring new investment and jobs to the region.”
Finbarr Dowling, Chair of Humber Freeport, said: “This is tremendous news and is another major milestone in developing the Humber’s economy. The locational advantages of Goole, along with its strong industrial cluster and Freeport incentives, offer end users a real competitive advantage.
“Industry leaders such as Siemens Mobility, Tesco Logistics and Guardian Glass are already located adjacent to the tax site, and have benefitted from this strategic location. The future of this site is very exciting.”