Thorpe Park unveils £500 million blueprint

A FAR-reaching masterplan for the second phase of work at a major Yorkshire business park is expected to create up to 15,000 jobs and put it on the map as a leading European business destination.

Kevin McCabe’s Scarborough Group International, owners of Thorpe Park on the outskirts of Leeds, has revealed plans for investment of up to £500m at the site.

The investment would make the already popular business park one of the top five business locations in the UK.

Scarborough Group International, working in conjunction with architects Make, creators of London’s Gherkin, have outlined radical plans which will include:

• a total development of 1.8m sq ft of office accommodation

• health and leisure facilities

• a budget hotel

• restaurants and complementary retail/coffee shops

• parks and water spaces

• an outdoor running track

• dedicated cycle and pedestrian routes.

Thorpe Park, which already has 600,000 sq ft of developed office space and employs 4,500 people, has attracted a high profile line-up of occupiers including brewers Coors, Dutch construction group BAM Construction, GE Money, IBM, the University of Leeds, the National Grid and construction company Vinci.

Andrew Richardson, one of the key figures working for Scarborough on the project, said: "In drawing up the masterplan we have put ourselves in the shoes of the occupiers and their changing requirements. Being just another business park was never an option.

"The outcome is that we have a location with facilities that means we can justifiably say we are a European business destination.

"We believe that the key to future success, growth and the development of a business or organisation in the seamless interaction of the people within the environment they occupy."

"Our master planning for a cohesive and productive business community will produce results and a quality working environment. It will deliver bespoke new and sustainable quality buildings, suitable for a variety of occupiers.

Published with permisssion of TheBusinessDesk