1,000 jobs on the Horizon...
PLANS SUBMITTED FOR CAR SHOWROOM AND INDUSTRIAL UNITS AT FORMER IMPERIAL TOBACCO SITE
DETAILS of a car showroom and three industrial spaces on the former Imperial Tobacco site have been submitted, which developers say will create up to 1,000 new jobs.
Henry Boot Developments (HBD) secured a £53.8m deal with Oxenwood Real Estate, the UK and European real estate management firm, to forward-fund the development.
The industrial units will be between 30,000 sq ft and 145,000 sq ft in size and are expected to be completed in 2023.
Imperial Tobacco’s former Horizon Factory closed on Thane Road in 2016, with HBD purchasing the site in 2017.
An outline application was submitted in July 2018 and approval for that was given in December 2019.
And HBD has now submitted a full planning application to Nottingham City Council for approval, which will be considered by the local authority’s planning committee.
The site plan comprises five units, two less than originally thought, which includes space for a car showroom and three industrial spaces.
And because of the jobs the development is hoped to create, the scheme has been welcomed.
Scott Knowles, chief executive of East Midlands Chamber, said: “It’s great to see real progress being made on the redevelopment of a site that will carry huge significance for lots of people across Nottingham and the surrounding area, while sending signals of a major new investment opportunity.
“For many years, Imperial Tobacco was a major name on the city’s business landscape and it’s been sad to see the land in Thane Road unused.
“It’s a fantastically located site, sandwiched between the Boots factory and a relatively new Aston Martin showroom, so it has some great potential to become another strategic hub of economic activity if these plans come to fruition.
“The new industrial units to be created will undoubtedly be attractive to a variety of businesses and the jobs they will bring to Nottingham will be important for communities across the city and county, much as the old Imperial Tobacco site once was.
“Given the East Midlands unemployment rate of 4.3 percent in the three months to August remained 0.5 percent higher than pre-covid levels, this vote of confidence in the Nottingham economy is a very welcome development as the recovery continues, and we believe there are some exciting developments ahead.” And those thoughts are echoed by Invest In Nottingham. Lorraine Baggs, head of investment, said: “Developments such as New Horizon at the old Imperial Tobacco site have the potential to really transform Nottingham, playing a vital role in ensuring that the city has the right kind of spaces to attract businesses and investment into the area. “Projects like this also regenerate and breathe life into old industrial sites, generating muchneeded jobs for the local economy. “It’s a fantastic scheme and we would look forward to work starting on it next year.” Councillor David Mellen, leader of Nottingham City Council, previously called the funding “great news” for the city in an area with “strong links to Nottingham’s industrial past”.
It has some great potential to become another strategic hub of economic activity
Scott Knowles