Plans for massive industrial development set to create thousands of jobs in Northumberland to go before planners
Outline plans for a major industrial development in south east Northumberland that could create thousands of new jobs are set to go before a council planning committee.
Known as West Hartford Park, the scheme planned for the edge of Cramlington is envisaged to create more than 2,000 jobs in key industries such as clean energy.
Brought forward by Arlington Real Estate and Homes England, the plans aim to deliver more than one million square foot of industrial, manufacturing and logistics space.
The proposals have been recommended by Northumberland County Council planning officers and will go before the local authority’s strategic planning committee on Tuesday.
The 126-acre scheme hopes to capitalise on the growth of green energy jobs linked to the nearby Port of Blyth, with the area emerging as a major player in the renewable energy sector in recent years.
The site was previously subject to an application for more than 500 homes in 2019, but this was rejected.
Cllr Wayne Daley, who represents the Cramlington North ward on Northumberland County Council, said: “It is miles better than the previous plan, which was to put 501 houses there. That brought nothing to the town and had massive objections.
“In my mind, it is repurposing the site with what I think is much more economically beneficial for the town. It will future-proof the town with the new technology.
“The alternative was 501 houses decimating that area with no extra school places or facilities. This is much better.”
Fellow Cramlington councillor Mark Swinburn added: “We’re really pleased that it is not going to be housing and it is going to bring employment to the area.
“National Highways has previously objected to major schemes in the area because of Moor Farm roundabout, so we’re surprised that they haven’t put a block on this one. The fact that it is going to be for employment and it is beside the dual carriageway and it’s not further housing means this is a positive step forward.”
The application includes plans for employment, research, battery storage and training centre use, as well as a petrol station, retail premises, a drive-thru coffee shop as well as a gym along with ground-mounted solar panels.
A report set to be presented to the committee states that around 2,166 full-time jobs will be created once the scheme is fully operational. Furthermore, it is estimated that more than 180 full-time construction jobs will be created across an eight-year construction period, as well as 273 indirect temporary jobs in the supply chain.
The site is allocated as one of only two “strategic employment sites” in the entire county in the Northumberland Local Plan, which contains all the county’s planning policies.
The proposals seek outline permission only. This would establish whether the scheme would be acceptable in principle, and another application or applications would have to be submitted before any work could begin.
The bodies behind West Hartford Park have previously said it has already generated interest from a number of potential occupiers. The scheme’s backers say that its position close to an “established cluster of industrial, logistics and innovation businesses” will enable companies setting up there to tap into a “highly skilled” local workforce, “mature” supply chains and major transport corridors.