Green light for Ashfield development which will create 1,800 jobs

Plans have been given the green light to build a distribution centre and industrial park at land on the Mansfield and Ashfield border.
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Planning permission has been granted by the council to develop the distribution centre at Summit Park, on Sherwood Way South, which is expected to create about 1,800 jobs.

The land at Summit Park had been set aside in 2014 to become a new “state-of-the-art logistics and business park”, with officials in Mansfield and Ashfield District Councils describing it as “the beginning of a rise in skilled employment” in the area.

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However, no progress was ever made on finding developers to move onto the land and it has remained derelict since the initial plans were announced in July 2014.

Summit Park.Summit Park.
Summit Park.

The plans were submitted to Ashfield District Council for the initial distribution centre in February, and while it is unknown at this stage who the end user is, your Chad understands that this development opens the door for more applications to be submitted at the 45-acre site.

Approval of the plans have been welcomed by council officials, who say it is “biggest single private sector investment in the district”.

Carol Cooper-Smith, service director for place and communities, said: “This is the biggest single private sector investment in the district for quite some time.

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“The council has been working with the site owner for some time, to bring an occupier on to the site.

“We are pleased to confirm that planning permission has now been conditionally approved for this large investment, which will bring around 1,800 good quality, well paid jobs to the district.

“We hope to work with the end users to maximise employment opportunities for local people.”

As part of the planning application, which was submitted by developers Ashton Smith, requires a ‘travel plan’ to be drawn up any of the businesses built can be occupied.

Business leaders have welcomed the development.

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Scott Knowles, chief executive at East Midlands Chamber of Commerce, said: “Creating up to 1,800 jobs will be good for the region.

“If they are high-quality jobs, that will be even better.

“There will be jobs created during construction and afterwards there may be opportunities to build new houses for the incoming workers.

“It’s all part of the virtuous circle of growth where more jobs mean more people with money to spend locally which, in turn, creates more jobs as they spend that money.”

The plans also include car parking, a potential new bus route, electric car charging ports and the potential for more businesses.