Go-ahead to £30m business park

ALMOST 1,000 jobs are set to be created in the Clevedon area after planners finally agreed to let a developer build a huge £30million business park.Rok Development will create in the region of 330,000sq ft of buildings on a 20-acre site off Kenn Road, which is expected to be key to meeting the fast-growing business needs of the area. Once fully developed the park could support more than 900 jobs and Rok has already got a list of more than 20 companies interested in moving to the site.North Somerset Council has given its blessing to the company's plans after much deliberation over the proposals over the past months. A public meeting was held by Kenn Parish Council because of residents' concerns over a possible unmanageable increase in traffic and that the roads and infrastructure were not good enough to support the site.There were also fears that the countryside was slowly being eaten away and that the new park, which will be built opposite Kenn Business Park, would create unsightly pollution.But the plans received strong support from the business community and Clevedon Chamber of Commerce, who argued the park would be vital in meeting the commercial needs of the district.Simon Tothill, director of Rok Development's Bristol office, said: "We're delighted with the decision and look forward to providing a range of high quality accommodation for local businesses which want to expand and others that are planning to move to North Somerset."Mr Tothill said Rok Development would ensure that the business park is carefully planned with a landscaped scheme.More planning applications will have to be submitted for the individual buildings and the park will be built over the course of the next three to five years. Rok Development has also agreed to improve pedestrian and cycle crossing facilities, introduce traffic management measures to reduce the speed limit along Kenn Road, and help pay for more bus services, two bus stops and improve footpaths along Kenn Road.