Jonathan James’ £3m Littleport business park gets green light from East Cambs District Council

BUSINESSMAN Jonathan James has won planning permission to build a new £3 million business park in Littleport.

The Littleport Business Park is set to be built on a three-acre site adjoining the award-winning Wisbech Road BP/spar forecourt on the A10.

The business park will provide 3,945 sq metre of B1 business space across 12 sustainable units, with dedicated bicycle and car parking in a landscaped setting. Features of the development will include solar panels, sustainable building materials, low energy lighting and buildings designed to maximise energy efficiency.

An application for the development was entered to East Cambridgeshire District Council back in November, with permission finally granted this week.

In her report, planning officer Sue Finlayson said: “The proposal for 3,945sq m of Class B1 employment use with the potential to create 395 additional jobs reflects the aspirations of the Littleport Masterplan and the site is included in the draft local plan.

“Landscape measures are proposed to ensure the development does not impact adversely on the settlement edge and the buildings have been designed to an appropriate scale and with high sustainability features.”

The development will be integrated with the existing petrol forecourt and convenience store. New planting will provide a continuous green buffer along the A10. The buildings and external space shall aspire to the highest levels of sustainability, focusing inwardly, across landscaped courtyards that will provide high specification, break-out spaces for business use, combined with areas for relaxation.

Jonathan James said: “This is an important development which will create about 190 new jobs and accords with the Government’s recently published National Planning Policy Framework and the Littleport Masterplan.”