Plans have been unveiled to build a business park from the ashes of the former B&M store destroyed by fire in York.
The Clifton Moor store was burnt down in a huge blaze in October 2018.
But now Harrogate-based Marrtree Investments has purchased the site from London property investment firm New River – and its directors say they are planning a development ‘York can be proud of’.
Director William Marshall said: “We are clear that, subject to obtaining a satisfactory planning outcome on this site, the development will consist of very high quality business units that York can be proud of, and we’re looking forward to engaging with city of York planners to ensure the development will be of significant benefit to the city.
“This Clifton Moor site offers us a significant opportunity to develop the modern high-spec accommodation that is synonymous with Marrtree developments, and of which the York market is in short supply.”
They say the finished project could create 100 jobs.
‘Accessibility is crucial’
Marrtree’s portfolio includes a £5.5m business park at Sowerby Gateway near Thirsk. The first phase of this 85-acre, 950-home development opened in February.
Fellow Marrtree director George Marshall said: “As a business we are all about creating employment hubs in the north of England, providing the kind of modern and high-quality space that people actively want to work in.
“Accessibility is also crucial and Clifton Moor is well located for road links, with dualling and other improvements planned for the outer ring road in the next couple of years.”
He added: “As we emerge from the challenges of the pandemic and look to the future, it’s more important than ever that we ensure our new developments have longevity and create a built environment everyone can be proud of.
“That is what we plan to do here at Clifton Moor.”
An investigation into the B&M fire blamed it on a discarded cigarette. B&M opened a new store in Clifton Moor in February 2019.
Marrtree is a residential and commercial property investor and developer founded in Bradford in 1940, with a countrywide portfolio totalling more than 600,000 sq ft.