30th November 2004
£2.5 MILLION EUROPEAN INVESTMENT FOR BARNSLEY BUSINESS PARK

The European Union is committing £2.5 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to the development of Ashroyd Business Park in Barnsley as part of the Objective 1 Programme in South Yorkshire.

The 16-hectare development by Ashroyd Developments is part of the Sector 36 group of sites located at M1 Junction 36.

The £8.1 million development will bring forward a fully serviced site that meets the needs of high growth business sectors that South Yorkshire is targeting. When fully developed, Ashroyd Business Park will provide a range of business premises with around 58,800 square metres of high quality floor space ideal to attract growing and expanding businesses. The development has the capacity to accommodate 800 jobs.

The site has the potential to accommodate premises with large floor plans, a type of property that South Yorkshire needs.

To kick-start the business park, a first unit of 4,645 square metres is being built on a speculative basis to be ready in the Spring 2006.

This investment in the future prosperity of Barnsley is being made through the Objective 1 Programme which is investing over £700 million of European money to help transform the South Yorkshire economy and increase the opportunities for all its people. The project is being brought forward on behalf of Objective 1 by Barnsley Development Agency and Renaissance South Yorkshire, the regeneration body established by partners in South Yorkshire to help deliver the economic transformation of the region.

Sylvia Yates, Objective 1 Director said: "Ashroyd Business Park will add to Barnsley's growing position as a major location for employment and as a centre of economic activity".

"European Structural Funds, such as ERDF, have an important role to undertake in areas such as Barnsley where they provide much needed investment that can make the difference between a project proceeding or not. I am sure that this development and others in the pipeline will contribute to the renaissance of the Barnsley economy" she said.

Tony Parker Development Director of Ackroyd and Abbott Ltd said: "We are delighted that work will shortly commence at Ashroyd Business Park, that has been made possible by the £2.5 million European investment."

Phillip Spurr of Renaissance South Yorkshire said: "This is a key initiative for South Yorkshire, not least because Ashroyd Business Park will be one of three major sites in a key growth area. Based next to the M1 near Barnsley, Ashroyd will have unrivalled connectivity at a site in the centre of the UK, and tenants choosing to locate there will benefit not just from premium premises but from excellent accessibility."

David Kennedy, Director of Development at Barnsley Development Agency adds, "The sector 36 Business Parks form an important part of the overall regeneration strategy for the M1 Strategic Economic Zone, which will bring new jobs and stimulate inward investment. We look forward to welcoming new companies to the Ashroyd site soon."

END

www.barnsleydevelopmentagency.co.uk

Press Contact: Sarah Hopwood
Marketing & Communications Assistant
Barnsley Development Agency
Telephone: 01226 640 086
Facsimile: 01226 286 606
Email: shopwood@barnsleydevelopmentagency.co.uk


Editors Notes:

Barnsley Development Agency (BDA) is home to Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council's Inward Investment and Development Team, which offers potential inward investors a friendly and professional service, free of charge. Services provided include: land and property information and advice; planning information and advice; financial assistance and grant availability; recruitment and training support; business advice; on-going project support and an aftercare programme.

Objective 1
The Objective 1 Programme in South Yorkshire is a £1.8 billion investment programme that draws on over £700 million from the European Union's Structural Funds that are provided to help Europe's poorest areas regenerate their economies and create jobs. South Yorkshire is one of those poorest areas with fewer businesses and fewer and less well-paid jobs than other European regions.

South Yorkshire was designated as an Objective 1 area, which is the highest category of European support, at the Berlin Summit in 1999 along with Merseyside, Cornwall and the Scillies and West Wales and the Valleys. The Objective 1 Programme in South Yorkshire was launched in July 2000 and runs until the end of 2006.

To date the Programme has committed over £530 million of European money to over 470 projects in South Yorkshire. Objective 1 funds are supporting the development of new businesses; helping businesses to innovate and grow; supporting the development of skills and training; supporting social enterprises; supporting the economic development of deprived communities in South Yorkshire; helping to bring forward the development of sites and premises for increased economic activity; and, helping to tackle both financial and transport bottlenecks that inhibit economic growth.

Renaissance South Yorkshire
Part financed by the EU European Regional Development Fund, Renaissance South Yorkshire is a purpose-built delivery vehicle created to transform the economic prospects of South Yorkshire by delivering strategic development projects and investment. It holds specific responsibility for:

· Attracting and managing inward investment for South Yorkshire;
· Developing the urban centres of South Yorkshire;
· Regenerating former coalfield sites;
· Developing key property sites within the Strategic Economic Zones of the M1, M18 and the Dearne Valley including the Advanced Manufacturing Park near Rotherham, the Barnsley Digital Media Centre, and the business park at the new Robin Hood Airport.
· Stimulating the growth of priority business clusters including advanced manufacturing and metals, bioscience, creative and digital industries, business, professional and financial services; environmental and energy technologies; and food;
· Delivering Objective 1-funded business development and infrastructure projects.



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