PLANS to build a £20 million office park on the outskirts of Clevedon moved a step closer this week - as the land was earmarked for business use in the local plan. North Somerset Council has agreed to allocate the land at Kenn Road for employment use in i

PLANS to build a £20 million office park on the outskirts of Clevedon moved a step closer this week - as the land was earmarked for business use in the local plan.North Somerset Council has agreed to allocate the land at Kenn Road for employment use in its replacement Local Plan. The decision, which is in line with recommendations made by a Government appointed planning inspector earlier this year, paves the way for Rok Developers to submit a detailed planning application.This could lead to the creation of up to 600 jobs for the area.The plans include building up to 200,000 sq ft of offices on the 20-acre site, which is opposite Kenn Business Park. The company will shortly be launching a month long consultation about its proposals including a public exhibition on a draft masterplan for the site, at the council house, Old Street, Clevedon, on June 29 from 10am-8pm. Local people will be invited to comment on the draft scheme.Once the consultation is over, an outline planning application will be submitted to North Somerset Council.If approved, work could start early in the New Year with construction phased over three to five years.Director of Rok Development's Bristol office Simon Tothill said: "We're delighted with the decision because we know there is significant demand from business in the area looking to expand and without this allocation there was a very real risk that they would have to leave North Somerset. We believe this development will also help cut car journeys from Clevedon to Bristol and other areas by providing employment locally and it could be a catalyst for future investment in the town.