LAND AND property regeneration firm Harworth Group has submitted an outline planning application to create a major rail-connected hub at Sherburn-in-Elmet in North Yorkshire.
The development would be on the former Gascoigne Wood colliery site, which already sees some rail freight activity for the gypsum and plasterboard industry. The facility is located on the Selby to Leeds line, which connects to the East Coast main line at Hambleton South Junction, 3km to the east. The current terminal can accept trains up to 450 metres in length and is W10 gauge ready.
The application to Selby District Council proposes the creation of up to two million square feet of Class B2 (General Industry) and B8 (Storage and Distribution) space, linked to the existing rail connection. This would involve demolition of the existing colliery buildings, with Harworth saying the development could create up to 2,000 jobs. The company believes the development provides ‘the opportunity for the delivery of a manufacturing activity… which will take advantage of, actively use and retain the rare, significant rail infrastructure’.
