The official launch of R-evolution, Gateway 36 Business Park took place today, (Wednesday 3 February).
Commercial property agents took part in a tour of the new development of high-quality industrial units, located directly off the Dearne Valley Parkway to the south of Barnsley.
The launch was marked by short speeches from Barnsley Council Leader Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton CBE and Ian Ball, Director of Asset Management at Harworth Estates, the company which has been working in partnership with Barnsley Council to develop the business park.
Cllr Houghton said: “Barnsley Council has been going through a difficult time with cuts to government funding, but it is our priority to grow the economy through providing job opportunities and the development at Gateway 36 is a huge step forward in this ambition.
“This is a great example of how we can work with the private sector to provide Barnsley residents, particularly our young people, with job opportunities now and in the future and I’d like to thank Harworth Estates, the commercial property agency Knight Frank and Marshall’s construction company.”
The R-evolution site, situated on 15 acres of land, is strategically located by Junction 36 of the M1 and has been designed to meet the region’s rising demand for new industrial units. Three units ranging from 13,000 sq. ft to 30,000 sq. ft have now been built and are available for lease.
Further development is also planned for the site, including the construction of a speculative 75,000 sq. ft unit and roadside uses including a hotel, pub and drive-thru restaurant.
The development has been directly supported by the council’s Property Investment Fund, which is one of the flagship initiatives identified in the Barnsley Jobs and Business Plan that launched in 2014. The plan sets out a commercially-focused blueprint for creating more jobs, an increased and stronger business base along with an aspiration to create more jobs and more businesses in the borough.
R-evolution @ Gateway 36, will, in total, create more than 450 new jobs in addition to having the potential to add £20m in Gross Value Added to the local economy. All occupiers will have access to comprehensive business support through the council’s experienced investment team, including free guidance on access to finance, recruitment and training, as well as the potential to receive business growth coaching from the nationally-recognised Enterprising Barnsley programme.