Business park proposed for exposed high site in North York Moors

Developers claim the plans for an exposed site with sightlines to Whitby Abbey could create up to 300 jobs with developers claiming it would generate up to 300 jobs.

Local parish councillors are objecting to the plans. 

• Read about the park authority's hopes for the North York Moors in the next decade here

According to documents submitted to the national park’s planning authority,  developers are seeking for consent to transform a two-hectare area of arable farmland, pasture and forests south-east of Whitby, off Enterprise Way, by constructing ten premises for anything from industrial manufacturing to commercial ventures and a 159 space car park. 

The planning application states the site is “exposed” and surrounded on three sides by agricultural land, and while it would be elevated above Whitby there were several established industrial and commercial premises beside the proposed site.

Agents for the developers state: “This proposal will provide modern high quality business accommodation in Whitby which will create employment opportunities for an estimated 250 to 300 people."

They added that unemployment in the local ward is lower than the district, regional and England average.

The application states: “The layout is designed to reflect the location within the national park and as such allows for extensive landscaping to the boundary and within the site.

“The height, scale, and layout of the proposed development has been carefully selected to limit the visual impact on the surrounding landscape of the National Park and sight lines to Whitby Abbey.”

Whitby Abbey

Members of Hawsker cum Stainsacre Parish Council  have described the scheme as “an overdevelopment”.

The parish’s response to the proposals states it understood the site had previously been earmarked for development and the authority’s members  considered it “a greenfield site and do not find this development suitable”.

A parish spokesman said it also had “major concerns” over the traffic visiting the proposed site and how this could be managed, the car parking spaces, bike spaces and the number of units suggests a large influx of vehicles to the area.

He added the parish council did agree with the current 30mph speed limit on approaching Enterprise Way, but would suggest a change to the speed restrictions including a 40mph zone prior to the 30mph zone.

The national park authority’s planning committee will consider the scheme later this year.