Councillors discuss bringing jobs to Wellingborough

At a meeting of the council's development committee on 12 October, councillors will be asked to give the go ahead for officers to gather information about potential interest in a new business park. They want to complete a 'soft market testing exercise' by the end of the year in order to explore how best to take the idea of the business park forward, the types of occupiers the site is likely to attract, and the likely level of demand.

A high-quality business park has been an ambition of the council for several years, as it would bring new employment to the area, help retain existing jobs, and develop links with higher education institutes. Councillors are keen that growth in the borough is employment-led, and that the right types of jobs are created - skilled jobs that young people can aspire to.

The possible site of the business park - 10.5 hectares of council-owned land immediately adjoining the Park Farm estate in Wellingborough - was identified as part of the council's 2020 Vision, but the development of the area has stalled because of current economic conditions. Previous attempts to attract external funding have struggled due to the extremely high costs of the feasibility study needed, so innovative ways of funding the project will also be examined.

Councillor Graham Lawman, chairman of the development committee, explains what the council wants to do now: "We want to create the right environment to attract higher value jobs, and we want to support local people to learn the skills needed for better paid jobs. Our borough is growing and employment needs to grow with it. The soft market test is a good way to explore how the high-quality business park can be developed in the current economic climate. By joining with the private sector we can share the risk, and still deliver the employment opportunities that the people of Wellingborough want and need."