More than 1,500 jobs could be created by the redevelopment of a former steelworks site in Sheffield into a distribution centre, a firm has said.
According to a report by the BBC, the Outokumpu site, next to the M1 motorway, was closed in 2009 and cleared in 2011, with part of the site converted into two business units in 2019.
A new planning application outlines the construction of a warehouse, offices and parking on the remaining plot. If approved, Peel Logistics Property (PLP) said it could be open by 2024.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service stated that the application by Michael Sparks Associates on behalf of PLP for the 16-hectare (160,000 sq m) plot responded to demand for a regional facility in Sheffield.
"The proposals will allow Sheffield City Council to gain from the continuing growth in the logistics sector, and associated job creation, in a strategically planned parkland setting at a key gateway to the city."
Statement by Michael Sparks Associates
"The site's strategic location allows immediate access to the M1 motorway," a statement accompanying the application said.
"The proposals will allow Sheffield City Council to gain from the continuing growth in the logistics sector, and associated job creation, in a strategically planned parkland setting at a key gateway to the city."
The demand for new logistics facilities continued to be ‘one of the strongest growth sectors in UK commercial property’, it added.
As well as the permanent jobs, around 360 jobs would be created during construction, according to the application.
The site was previously owned by Finnish firm Outokumpu, the largest producer of stainless steel in Europe, and was originally developed in the 1950s by the British Steel Corporation for the cold rolling and cutting of stainless steel into sheets of metal.
About 230 jobs were lost when the plant closed in 2009 after production was switched to Sweden.
Source: BBC