Enterprise park work to start after 20-year delay

Work to create a new enterprise park is ready to start, more than 20 years after it was first proposed.

Tenders will go out in June to start work at the 10-hectare Model Farm site off the A40, south-east of Ross-on-Wye.

The project had been delayed while a deal was struck with National Highways which manages the A40, Herefordshire councillor Pete Stoddart told colleagues at a meeting last week.

For phase one of the enterprise park, £7.25m of funding has been earmarked and Harry Bramer said "it's only taken 21 years for this to occur" from when the council bought the site in his first days as a councillor.

"But that's not long to wait for something as good as this," he added.

"It's exciting news for Ross-on-Wye's and Herefordshire's economy," council leader Jonathan Lester responded.

Stoddart added that with the site infrastructure in place, "developers can start putting buildings up next year".

"We are looking in particular for high-tech businesses that will take advantage of the zone's fantastic connectivity, and help raise the income of the county," he said.

Ed O'Driscoll, councillor for Ross East ward in which the park will lie, said it was "great news, I look forward to spades in the ground this year."

He added he wanted to see a management board appointed to guide the site's development, with representation from local businesses who "need to be consulted".

"I am extremely keen to see high-skilled jobs for young people in Ross in particular, enabling them to live and work locally," he said.

A decision on the funding will be finalised by the council on 18 July.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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