Units now under construction at Harrogate 47 development

Opus North and Bridges start on site to speculatively develop 106,000 sq. ft. of highly sustainable business units, as part of a scheme that could support 2,000 jobs

Opus North and Bridges Fund Management (“Bridges”) have begun construction of the Harrogate 47 sustainable employment development in North Yorkshire. These works will deliver new flexible business units totalling more than 106,000 sq. ft. of high-specification Grade A space, with a focus on sustainability. The units are expected to complete in Autumn 2025.

The partners will speculatively develop two terraces of flexible business units from 5,540-12,188 sq. ft., as well as three detached units from 10,200-21,600 sq. ft. Access and infrastructure works for this major new mixed-use employment scheme are now complete, allowing delivery of the first units on site. The appointed contractor is Stainforth Construction.

The units are situated on a 45-acre site near Harrogate at J47 of the A1(M) in North Yorkshire, which in total comprises more than 600,000 sq. ft. of employment space for industrial, logistics, hi-tech and office uses, as well as amenity uses, within a landscaped environment. Planning permission was secured from Harrogate Borough Council for the low-carbon scheme, which is targeting BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and has the potential to support 2,000 jobs.

The site is close to a number of North Yorkshire towns including Knaresborough, Harrogate and York, with motorway links to access Leeds, Hull and Sheffield via the M1 and M62.

Ryan Unsworth, Joint MD, Opus North said: “Seeing construction of the units get underway at Harrogate 47 is a great way to start the year. Our innovative scheme has been designed with energy efficiency in mind to offer sustainable, high-quality property solutions for businesses.”

Henry Pepper, Partner, Bridges Fund Management, said: “This well-connected development on the A1(M) corridor will support economic growth and job creation in the local area. Our plan is to develop sustainable units that will be highly attractive to a range of regional or national occupiers looking for cost-efficient, future-proofed employment space. We are delighted that construction can now begin on the units.”

Opus North is recognised as one of the most active and successful developers in Yorkshire, with extensive development delivery experience. Bridges Fund Management invests in the transition to a more sustainable and inclusive economy. It specialises in property solutions that help to create jobs, reduce carbon emissions and regenerate brownfield land.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for open to business, Cllr Mark Crane, said:

“This is a very welcome investment in mixed use business accommodation in North Yorkshire. It’s in a prime location to boost employment in the county and encourage economic growth across a range of sectors. We look forward to seeing the development take shape and hearing about the businesses that will eventually occupy the site.”

Appointed agents for Harrogate 47 are CBRE and Gent Visick.