02/07/13

Development commences at North Dorset Business Park

Works to provide infrastructure, including a high speed broadband connection, have commenced upon a six hectare site in North Dorset.  

North Dorset Business Park in Sturminster Newton will be transformed into a fully serviced and ‘development ready’ business park - creating up to 250 jobs. There are also growth opportunities for businesses on earlier phases of the Business Park - plots of 0.5 acres upwards are now available for sale.

The Business Park is a joint venture between landowners Dorset County Council, the Homes and Communities Agency and North Dorset District Council. They acquired the land under their economic development remit with the intention of promoting this as a key employment site, work on which had been stalled for many years whilst in private sector ownership.  

Councillor Val Pothecary, North Dorset District Council portfolio holder for Economy, said: 

“This business park has remained mostly undeveloped for 20 years. North Dorset District Council has worked with Sturminster Newton Town Council and SturQuest to bring the land into public ownership, bidding for the funds to put the infrastructure in, and keeping the local businesses engaged.  There has been a lot of interest in both the serviced land and also for buildings on the site.  This is a really important opportunity for Sturminster Newton and for North Dorset, to achieve a well-designed, high quality business park which will help to safeguard local jobs, create new employment and attract new businesses to the area.”

Councillor Hilary Cox, Dorset County Council's Cabinet member for the environment, said:

"Dorset County Council acquired land at North Dorset Business Park to help bring about the long-awaited development of this site.  We are delighted that, with the support of the Dorset LEP, works have now commenced to put in the necessary infrastructure to support the comprehensive development of the business park."

The project was awarded an £800,000 loan by Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership's (LEP) through the Government's Growing Places Fund. Determined to generate economic activity by investing in infrastructure and boosting jobs and housing, the Dorset LEP Board unanimously voted to invest in this site, which promises to deliver long term economic benefits for Dorset. 

David Ramsden, Dorset LEP Board member and lead on the Growing Places Fund, said:

“Working alongside our public sector partners we are very pleased to be investing in this exciting project which will deliver real benefits for local people.  Whilst the evaluation has been complex, we are satisfied that the Sturminster Newton scheme will bring significant long-term benefits to Dorset.”

Local residents and businesses also widely welcomed the project.  SturQuest, a local community partnership, has worked with a number of public and private sector partners over many years to bring forward the development of the site, which is seen locally as being vital to the sustainability of this very rural area.

Jackie Upton King from SturQuest said:

“The funding from the LEP is most welcome and has proved to be the catalyst required to bring together a great deal of earlier effort. The partnership between the community and the public sector owners of the site has now produced a master plan which will enable a high quality development to proceed.  We are delighted to see genuine progress towards supporting local enterprise and creating real employment potential.  Our community has keenly awaited signs of activity on the site and will be delighted with this news.”

Back to News page