20th December 2001
STAINSBY GRANGE BRINGS 750 JOBS TO BARNSLEY

Leeds developer Stainsby Grange is bringing some festive cheer to Barnsley with the announcement that its £20M Bleachcroft Way development at Wombwell Lane, Stairfooot, Barnsley, has been approved. Around 750 new jobs will now be created for the town, following written confirmation of the development from the Secretary of State's office.

Bleachcroft Way will be home to a new 100,000sq ft B&Q Warehouse which will bring over 250 jobs, around 20% of which will be for skilled tradespeople. The seven-month construction programme on the site is scheduled to commence in Spring 2002, which will be followed by B&Qs own fit-out programme to prepare its Warehouse for opening early in 2003.

David Williams, Property Director for Stainsby Grange, said: "We're absolutely delighted to be able to announce this news and the new jobs it will mean for Barnsley over the coming months and years. With all developments of this scale there are challenges to overcome, and we would particularly like to thank Eric Illsley MP for his assistance in pursuing the planning application, and all at Barnsley Development Agency for their support and guidance from day one. Without the preparatory work undertaken by BDA over the past two years, the development would simply not have happened. The industrial site needs an anchor use such as B&Q to make the whole development site viable."

As well as the B&Q Warehouse, the scheme will enable 21 acres to be developed for new industry, providing circa 200,000sq ft of new space.

Phase 1 will include 11,000sq feet of industrial start-up space on the Bleachcroft Way site. The overall jobs figure of 750 for Bleachcroft Way is based on average occupancy of this type of development, and this could ultimately be higher depending on the type of businesses that move into the industrial units.

Jeff Pickering, Economic Development Manager at Barnsley Development Agency (BDA), commented: "This really is fantastic news for Barnsley and it couldn't come at a better time. We've been working very hard for the last four years in partnership with the Council's Planning and Transportation Service, Stainsby Grange, and B&Q to bring about a positive conclusion to this development which will provide new investment and jobs in Barnsley.

"It's important to note that this isn't simply a great investment story in isolation. The whole development has been carefully thought out in terms of the impact it would have on regenerating some of the areas in Barnsley that desperately need the investment. We will be working in partnership with B&Q to ensure that the benefits of this development are captured for the surrounding local communities including Kendray. Many of the long-term unemployed in the area who have been re-skilling and re-training as part of BDA's Intermediate Labour Market (ILM) programme, for example, will have a chance to apply for any appropriate jobs as they become available."

Some of the communities that will benefit directly from the investment in their area have some of the highest unemployment levels in South Yorkshire; Kendray, Thurnscoe, and Lundwood. The development also fits in well with Barnsley's Objective One Urban Centre Plan and BDA's overall regeneration strategy for the Barnsley borough.


For further information on Barnsley Development Agency, contact BDA on (01226) 784444



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