Go-ahead for 300-acre industrial park
Work on Nottinghamshire’s biggest allocated employment site is set to start after councillors backed plans for EM.EX, a scheme near Worksop tipped to deliver more than 4m sq ft of space.
Applicant Caddick Developments says construction work on the scheme will begin in 2026, after council planners gave hybrid plans the thumbs up last night.
The Wetherby-based developer had submitted detailed proposals for plot one on site, along with an outline scheme for a further seven units of varying sizes also included for the remainder of the 300-acre plot, around three miles east of Worksop.
The first phase of the scheme will see a logistics unit with around 2m sq ft of floorspace built for an unnamed occupier, lined up in advance for the building, which Caddick says will represent a “notable statement of intent” for the scheme.
“Plot one alone could deliver approximately 2,000 jobs once the building matures, with upwards of 2,000-3,000 further jobs across the remainder of the site once fully operational depending on future occupier requirements,” said a planning statement on behalf of Caddick Developments.
“The development could therefore deliver a potential GVA to the district of £177m per annum, alongside multi-million pound business rates each year once fully operational. It would also deliver significant economic contributions during the construction stage with the potential to create over 800 direct and indirect construction jobs over a significant construction period.”
A new access road and roundabout will be built as part of early works to connect the site with the A57, while four new bus laybys will also be built to serve public transport on the site.
As part of the conditions for the approval, over £1.7m will be provided as a developer contribution to bus services intended to serve the development over a ten year period.
“The Proposed Development represents a major opportunity that will play a pivotal role in the economic growth of the region,” said the planning officer’s report.
“As the largest employment site allocated in the adopted Local Plan, it will include a state-of-the-art storage and distribution facility as the first plot of development with further high-quality development to follow in later phases as part of a wider strategic employment site.”
Chris Procter, director at Caddick, said: “Following many years of close collaboration with the local authority, it’s fantastic news that we now have a detailed consent for EM.EX Worksop, accompanied by a market-facing outline.
“This decision gives us the opportunity to start looking ahead to future phases of development and to realise the long-term vision for EM.EX Worksop. Through our ongoing investment in the area, we’re unlocking significant employment opportunities through the creation of a next-generation logistics hub.
“The scheme’s in-built flexibility and excellent location make it attractive to a range of national and international businesses, and we’re looking forward to continuing to work with Bassetlaw District Council and other key stakeholders to cement Bassetlaw’s standing as a key player in the UK’s industrial and logistics sector.”
The project team consists of Stantec as planning consultants, KPP as architects, FPCR for landscape and biodiversity, BWB for environmental services, Brookbanks as utilities consultants, and MBA for lighting and BREEAM advisory.
Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward said: “The news of up to 4,000 extra jobs coming to Worksop is a welcome step forward for our region.
“Distribution hubs are a key driver of the East Midlands economy and this scheme will further strengthen our position as a leading logistics corridor.
“I look forward to watching this progress over the next couple of years as it supports my goal to make our region the best place to live, work and learn.”
Plans and documents relating to the application can be found on Bassetlaw council’s planning portal using reference: 24/01186/FUL
