growth area to bring more jobs
A KEY plan to develop a high quality employment growth area on the edge of Melton is set to move forward.
A report to Melton Council’s rural, economic and environmental committee has identified three areas of land, south west of the town and adjoining the A607 Leicester Road, which could shape the borough’s future employment growth.
One of the areas is the Melton Fields Business Park, to be developed on land adjacent to the A607. The site, which already has outline planning consent, could create more than 500 jobs.
It’s hoped that the first offices will be ready to be occupied by the summer.
The other two potential employment areas which have been earmarked, though nothing has yet been decided, are on the opposite side of the A607, bordering the Leicester Road Industrial Estate.
Councillors are being asked to approve a final draft employment growth area report on Wednesday (January 9) before the council decides to carry out further work and consultation towards the development of a future masterplan.
Councillor Joe Orson, chairman of the rural, economic and environmental committee, said: “This is a very positive document even though it’s in its very early stages. I see it as part of a massive jigsaw for the wellbeing of Melton.
“We’ve had to provide the high quality re-modelled education but we also need to provide high quality jobs, which Melton definitely lacks at the moment.
“That’s why a new high quality employment site is so important.
“We need to provide employment which pays a good wage and lifts the local wage economy, to prevent the ‘brain drain’ from the borough, and I’d also like to see Melton attract more high-tech businesses.”
The next stages in the creation of the employment growth area are set to involve more talks with potential developers, identifying potential funding streams and further consideration of issues including access and egress off the A607.
The report to the committee says: “There are few instances of companies moving to the Melton area from elsewhere. However agents noted that units of good quality in good locations which are competitively priced do let relatively quickly.
“An absence of supply of new product to the Melton market, for the last 25 years or so, makes it difficult to quantify the potential demand for new space.
“Nevertheless, the developers’ views are that there’s likely to be latent demand for new space within the town because of the lack of supply, ageing stock and poor environmental quality of the existing space.”
l What do you think about Melton’s future employment growth options?
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Monday 20 May 2013
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