Plans for a huge £30 million distribution centre, with the potential to create 400 jobs at Melton West Business Park, have been approved.
The 123,000 sq ft Wykeland development - speculated to be for Amazon’s ‘last mile’ delivery strategy into Hull - was given the go-ahead by East Riding Council.
Managing director Dominic Gibbons told councillors the logistics company set to take over the completed facility was operating in one of the few sectors growing during the coronavirus pandemic.
The developer has declined to confirm or deny that the operator will be Amazon, as has the technology multinational.
Mr Gibbons added the company would address residents’ concerns on noise, traffic, light and air pollution, with a 2.4m high acoustic fence around most of its boundary in the plans.
The company has also agreed to work with council officers to mitigate vehicle noise.
The committee, voting 10 to one in favour, heard the facility would operate 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week.
Building is anticipated to begin before Christmas, with completion in mid-2021.
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Mr Gibbons said: “We are delighted the committee members have supported this development, which is fully in line with planning policy for the site.
“The land has been zoned for employment use in the Local Plan since 1996 and, having acquired this part of the site in 2018 and incorporated it within our Melton West Business Park, we are pleased we are now able to deliver on its potential.
“This approval paves the way for a very significant inward investment, by a global logistics operation, which will bring hundreds of new jobs to the area.
“We have been very pleased to work with the end user, from inception through to planning, and will now move to the construction phase.
“We plan to appoint contractors to begin work on site before Christmas with the construction of a new roundabout on Brickyard Lane, to facilitate access to and from the A63.
“This will be followed by the start of work on the warehouse and distribution centre and ancillary facilities early in the new year and we envisage the facility will be operational by next summer.”
It will take the total number of jobs on the 200 acre park to around 2,000, joining 800,000 sq ft of developed property. Neighbours will include Heron Foods, generator manufacturer Allam Marine and shower maker Kohler Mira.
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Mr Gibbons added: “As with all our developments, we will continue to keep the local community fully informed and engaged as this scheme moves forward and delivers a major boost to the regional economy.”
A further 150,000 sq ft Humberside Police command and control centre and operational support building is also under construction.