600 jobs at office block

11:11am Thursday 14th August 2008

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YORK has been handed a major economic boost, with the announcement that more than 600 new jobs may be on the way to the city.

Plans have been drawn up for a six-storey office development in Carmelite Street, on the edge of the Hungate site, east of the city centre.

Project manager John Skelton, speaking on behalf of developer Queens House Joint Venture, said discussions had been held with a number of potential occupiers from the financial and professional services sector.

Some are local companies looking to relocate, but others are firms looking to invest in York from outside.

The news has been hailed as a welcome boost for York, coming less than a fortnight after insurance giant Norwich Union announced it was shedding up to 500 jobs in the city.

Denise Stuart, chief executive of inward investment agency york-england.com said: “At present there is a shortage of Grade A office space in York city centre, therefore the prospect of this new development is very exciting, especially in the current economic climate.

“The development would provide valuable space for a number of local firms to expand into as well as being an attractive proposition for new inward investors. We look forward to working with Queens House Joint Venture and the agents they appoint, in ensuring the office space is filled and new job opportunities are created.”

Len Cruddas, chief executive of York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “This is excellent news.

“We welcome anyone from outside the city relocating to York obviously, but it’s still good news if it’s a relocation of a local company, because it means we have been able to find premises to house them inside the city.

“It underlines what we have been saying on a number of occasions, in that the professional services sector is doing well.”

Queens House Joint Venture bought the land from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation last year.

The foundation had previously held an office design competition for the site, which was won by architects Panter Hudspith.

Following the sale of the land, the winning design has been redrawn to form the basis of a planning application by Queens House Joint Venture.

Mr Skelton said: “We are proposing to develop a new building of approximately 70,000 sq ft of Grade A high quality office accommodation which will front onto the new St John’s Square of the Hungate development.

“The completed development will have capacity to house 600 to 700 staff and we are in discussions with a number of potential occupiers from the professional and financial services sector, both locally based companies and potential inward investors.”