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Andrew Eccles

THE boss of the company behind the multimillion pound business and enterprise park planned for Old Malton yesterday hit back at claims that Ryedale District Council was "misled" when it gave the green light earlier this year.

The venture, estimated to cost around £20 million and with the potential to create 800 new jobs, has since been "called-in" by the Government Office in Leeds and a public inquiry is expected to follow later this year before the Secretary of State, Hazel Blears, makes a decision.

Andrew Eccles is joint managing director of Northminster Developments, of York, the company behind the park which is planned for land north of the Malton bypass near the junction with the A169 and the A64.

He said: "We worked very closely with Ryedale District Council over two years over the application."

He said it had been drawn up in line with the Employment Land Review carried out by consultants on behalf of the council and approved in June 2006.

"The application is in line with the council's policies. Such policies have got to be in place before such schemes can be considered, " said Mr Eccles.

"The case for this park is about employment in Malton and the rest of Ryedale, especially providing job opportunities for young people, and to link Malton's economy and opportunities with the very successful economy in York."

John Sturdy, of Eden Farm, whose land abuts the proposed business park, said: "I believe Ryedale District Council has been misled by the developers.

"It should look deeper into the planning application. It should forget about any potential income.

"We do not need another industrial site in Malton, there are sufficient already, with planning permission."

Mr Sturdy added: "Greed must not triumph over common sense and the wishes of Malton Town Council and local residents.

"The site was good agricultural land and it was wrong to take it out of production when there was growing concern about increasing yields from crops because of the world food shortage."

He said there were also concerns about drainage capacity in the area of the proposed park.

"There will also be horrendous traffic problems but traffic lights have been ruled out because they will be sited too close to the fly-over on the A64.

Mr Sturdy said it was feared that while there were two phases proposed on the land, which is owned by the Fitzwilliam Estate, others would follow on substantial areas of land.

12:02pm Thursday 27th March 2008

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