Backing for business park expansion plans

The owners of the Lancaster Way Business Park in Witchford have been granted planning permission to expand the development.

Grovemere Property applied to East Cambridgeshire District Council earlier in the summer to build nine new business units – which, it said, could bring up to 50 new jobs into the area.

The new facilities will serve as ‘start-up’ units for fledgling business.

Architects told the district council: “Business growth will help create a diverse and buoyant economy, and the development of this site for a range of employment uses will assist developing a diverse range of employment opportunities.

“There is currently a lack of suitably sized ‘incubator’ units on the business park. The proposals will therefore ?ll this gap and ensure that small start-ups can develop and expand into larger businesses, whilst remaining on the business park.”

The plans won the backing of the City of Ely Council and were approved this week by planning officer Abigail Taylor.

She said: “The design of the buildings and the proposed site layout reflects neighbouring developments and accords with the overall character of the site.”

Grovemere secured funding for the expansion, which measures about 18,000sq ft of extra floor space, from the Greater Cambridge Enterprise Partnership.

Lancaster Way stretches to about 50 acres and is home to hundreds of jobs and dozens of businesses, including glaziers and plumbing suppliers.