Location confirmed for two multi-million-pound industrial projects in Ashfield

The authority is progressing with Ashfield Innovation and Technology Park and an advanced distribution and manufacturing centre as part of its £62.6 million Towns Fund cash secured from the Government in 2021.

Both projects promise significant investment into education and skills and to boost the regional economy.

Tens of millions of pounds have been pledged to the schemes and now a proposed location has been revealed.

Cabinet members are being asked to approve the purchase of land on Low Moor Road, Kirkby, opposite Sutton Parkway railway station, for both centres, with terms agreed with Nottinghamshire Council, the landowner, for the sale..

An alternative location for the sites had been investigated south-east of Oakham Business Park, on the Mansfield border near Amazon.

However, papers say the Low Moor Road site is preferred due to its “size, strategic location, transport links, proximity to West Nottinghamshrie College and neighbouring industrial clusters”.

The papers confirm the ADMC will act as the flagship project in the council’s Towns Fund deal.

About £20.5m will be used from the pot to deliver a £30m, “nationally and potentially internationally-recognised” innovation centre.

The 4,000 sq metres, purpose-built centre will focus on research and development, new product development and testing, education and skills development, technology showcasing and event hosting, with construction due to start in 2024.

It will sit as part of the AITP, which will become a “destination for high-tech industrial clusters in sectors such as aeronautics, robotics, biosciences, engineering and manufacturing”.

In a report, the authority says the wider site will become a “renowned destination for inward investment”.

It said: “It will bring economic prosperity and well-paid jobs to the area, and thus become a centre of excellence, both nationally and potentially internationally.

“The whole site will be a £100m-plus development, attracting inward investment and creating higher economic growth opportunities for residents of Ashfield.

“They will bring economic growth and new investment opportunities that will benefit businesses and residents of Ashfield, create higher-paid jobs and education and learning opportunities.

“The ADMC will be underpinned by research-based data of demand and supply to maximise the effectiveness of the marketing strategy. Market research indicates there is a high level of commercial interest in the development.”