It is hoped that around 3,500 new jobs will be created, as a result of a £50m scheme to build an industrial estate on 104 acres of agricultural land at Brunthill, Carlisle.
The plans include 175,000sq ft of new office space, including serviced offices, along with a further 946,000sq ft of commercial property, such as general industrial space, warehousing space and storage space.
Once complete the scheme will link the existing Kingmoor North and Kingmoor Central developments, creating one of the biggest industrial estates in the north west.
Further down the line, the Kingmoor Park project could also be home to a prison, should the Ministry of Justice proceed with its proposals.
Tony Goddard, chief executive of Kingmoor Park Properties, said: ‘We consider Kingmoor Park to be a long-term scheme – we’ve been there 11 years already. This is the next step. It is a tremendously-exciting project and we are absolutely thrilled with it. How quickly it happens will depend on the economy but, whilst it’s a difficult economic climate at the moment, we are still pulling inquiries in [for new units].’
An outline planning application will be presented to Carlisle City Council on Friday and planning officers are recommending that it is approved.
The terms of the application will allow work to start any time in the next seven years, although Mr Goddard hopes it will be sooner.
Kingmoor Park Properties already has planning consent for a so-called ‘hub’ scheme, immediately to the south of Brunthill, to include a 130-bed four-star hotel with a conference suite and fitness centre.
The idea is to provide facilities for the 1,500 people who work at Kingmoor Park, a figure that could reach 5,000 should the Brunthill extension reach completion. Kingmoor hope the hub will officially open it doors in the coming months, following completion of the Carlisle Northern Development Route.
