Had-Fab, one of the UK’s leading metal structure engineering and fabrication companies, has become the first business to invest in the Forth Green Freeport. It’s expanding onto a 10 acre site at Queensferry One in Rosyth, which we own and are developing through Scarborough Muir Group, our joint venture with Muir Group. The move brings more than 50 direct jobs.
The family business, based in Macmerry in East Lothian, first took 6.1 acres at Queensferry One earlier this year as a logistics base after a run of big contract wins. More wins followed, so within months it took the four acre plot next door too.
Had-Fab designs, fabricates, installs and manages metal structures, including overhead electricity pylons for SSE and the wider UK transmission network. Demand from the power sector is what’s driving its growth.
It’s also the first business to go through the Freeport’s onboarding process for its tax sites, which means it’ll get five years of Green Freeport non domestic rates relief.
Anthony G. Jones, Chief Commercial Officer at Had-Fab, said:
“Expanding our operations at Queensferry One marks an exciting new chapter in Had-Fab’s continued growth. Our expansion has been driven by the increasing demand for our capabilities and the opportunities we are seeing across the UK’s power transmission sector.
“This investment is about more than expanding our operational capacity. It reflects our long-term commitment to investing in our facilities and our people, creating the foundations for sustainable growth as we continue to support major infrastructure projects across the UK. Establishing a presence at Queensferry One also gives us an excellent base to support our customers and our continued operation growth.
“We are proud and extremely pleased to be contributing to the local Fife economy and creating more than 50 direct jobs. We look forward to becoming part of the wider Rosyth business community and playing our part in supporting local employment, skills and economic growth.”
William McAlister, spokesperson for Scarborough Muir Group, said:
“Had-Fab is a significant addition to Queensferry One and its decision to expand again within months of arriving at Rosyth is a strong endorsement of the location and the investment that has been made here.
“Queensferry One has been prepared to accommodate businesses with substantial requirements and give them the space to grow. We have one of Scotland’s largest development-ready industrial and logistics sites, with serviced land and infrastructure already in place and the capacity to support further investment.
“Had-Fab’s investment is an important milestone for the Forth Green Freeport, but the real opportunity is what comes next. Rosyth has the land, infrastructure, skills and industrial heritage to play a much bigger role in Scotland’s manufacturing, engineering and energy economy, and we want Queensferry One to be at the heart of that growth.”
It’s a big moment for the Freeport as a whole, and the news has been welcomed by the Scottish Government, the Freeport and Fife Council.
Tom Arthur, Minister for Business and Fair Work, said:
“Welcoming the first investor in a Forth Green Freeport tax site is a significant step forward and demonstrates that the Green Freeport programme is beginning to translate ambition into tangible economic benefits.
“Had-Fab’s decision to expand at Queensferry One will support skilled job creation, strengthen Scotland’s engineering and manufacturing capabilities and help build the supply chains needed for the transition to a net zero economy. This investment shows the positive role that Green Freeports can play in attracting investment and creating high-quality jobs across Scotland.”
Dame Susan Rice DBE, Chair of the Forth Green Freeport, said:
“Had-Fab’s new facility at Queensferry One is a significant development for the Forth Green Freeport as this marks the first investor who has gone through our rigorous on-boarding process for businesses on our designated tax sites.
“Had-Fab is creating local jobs and economic growth for the area and are benefitting from accessible, ready to use land with excellent land and sea logistics, and a suite of attractive business incentives. We wish Had-Fab much success and look forward to announcing more investor news across the FGF area soon.”
Cllr Altany Craik, Fife Council’s Economy Spokesperson, said:
“Had-Fab's decision to establish a presence at Rosyth is an important milestone for both Fife and the Forth Green Freeport. As the first company to complete an end user agreement on the Rosyth tax site, it demonstrates growing confidence in the area as a strategic location for investment and business growth.
“The Rosyth site will provide valuable logistics and laydown space to support the delivery of major infrastructure projects and strengthens Fife's role in Scotland's clean energy supply chain. It is encouraging to see businesses making use of the opportunities available through the Green Freeport programme, helping to support economic activity, supply chains and future investment across the region.”
We’ve spent more than 20 years turning the former Ministry of Defence land at Rosyth into a place for business, cleaning up the ground and clearing away what was left from its naval days. Queensferry One is now a 120 acre, development ready site with an outline masterplan for more than 1.5 million sq ft of industrial and logistics space. Had-Fab joins Babcock International, the Port of Rosyth and a cluster of manufacturing, maritime, energy and logistics businesses already in the area.
Serviced plots and design and build opportunities are available now. To find out more about space at Queensferry One, contact our joint letting agents, Craig Semple at CBRE on 07795 641 892 or craig.semple@cbre.com, or Lewis Pentland at Colliers on 07748 704 734 or lewis.pentland@colliers.com.
Middlewood Locks is getting its own gym. Forged, a new independent strength training gym, has agreed a 10 year lease on a 4,700 sq ft unit at The Railings, the third phase of our £1 billion neighbourhood between Salford and Manchester city centre. It opens in January 2027 and will be open seven days a week.
The idea started very close to home. Founder Sam Benjamin has lived at Middlewood Locks for two years and spotted the potential of the commercial units while walking past them on his way to work. Sam is a former professional rugby player who also runs Tap House in Manchester and bars in Nottingham. Forged is his first gym.
Forged is a dedicated strength training gym, so the whole floor is given over to training, with showers and changing rooms alongside. There’ll be gym80 Pure Kraft plate loaded and Sygnum selectorised machines, a GluteBuilder zone with eight dedicated pieces, Exigo racks, benches and platforms, and Forge Strength plates and dumbbells. Personal training sessions will be available too.
It isn’t only about the workouts. Sam wants Forged to feel welcoming and part of the community, so there’s a programme of social events planned for members, including Beer & Barbell and Summer Socials.
Sam Benjamin, founder of Forged, said:
“Having lived at Middlewood Locks for the past two years, I recognised the opportunity to establish a high-quality gym serving both residents and the surrounding neighbourhood. Forged brings together my commitment to fitness and healthy living with my sporting background and experience in hospitality.
“Our aim is to provide a dedicated strength-training environment, with high-quality equipment and a capped membership, where members feel welcome and comfortable. Alongside the training facilities, we want to build a strong community and give members opportunities to connect through our planned events.”
Membership will be capped, and 450 people are already on the waiting list. The first 600 members will pay £65 every four weeks with no joining fee. After that, membership will cost £75 every four weeks plus a £75 joining fee, subject to availability. Middlewood Locks residents won’t pay a joining fee, whenever they join.
We want Middlewood Locks to be a neighbourhood where independent businesses do well, and Forged is a great fit. It joins the Co-op and 92 Degrees coffee shop. The Railings has four commercial units totalling nearly 10,000 sq ft, there’s been plenty of interest in them and we expect to announce more occupiers soon.
Paul Kelly, Group Managing Director at Scarborough Group International, said:
“Forged is an excellent addition to Middlewood Locks and reflects our commitment to attracting independent businesses that enhance the neighbourhood. It is particularly rewarding to see a resident establish a business here after experiencing life at Middlewood Locks first-hand.
“The gym will broaden the amenities available to residents and those working locally and Sam’s focus on a welcoming, community-led approach aligns with our vision for Middlewood Locks. The 10-year lease demonstrates a long-term commitment to the neighbourhood, and we look forward to Forged opening in January.”
More than 2,600 people now live at Middlewood Locks. The 25 acre neighbourhood sits around three basins of the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal, and more than half of its 2,215 planned homes are complete. Future phases will bring more homes and a further one million sq ft of commercial space, including offices, a hotel, shops and restaurants. Spinningfields, St John’s, New Bailey and Castlefield are all close by.
We’re developing Middlewood Locks in a joint venture with Metro Holdings, a Singapore listed property group.
Lyons Thompson Letts markets the commercial space at Middlewood Locks. For details of the remaining units, see the Railings brochure or call the agents on 0161 260 0075.
The Sheffield studio behind boxing game UNDISPUTED is moving into more than 12,000 sq ft at Steel City Stadium, the biggest letting since the Stadium opened.
In 2020, brothers Ash, Asif and Asad Habib started a games studio in Sheffield. Six years on, their boxing game UNDISPUTED has reached more than seven million players around the world, and the studio is moving to Steel City Stadium.
Steel City Interactive (SCI) has taken 12,148 sq ft at the Stadium. It’s the largest letting the Stadium has seen since it opened in 2022, and the largest out of town office deal in Sheffield since 2024.
The studio will take the whole of the second floor and part of the first, moving from its current base at Forge House on Carbrook Hall Road to give its growing team more room.
For Ash, it’s a homecoming of sorts.
Ash Habib, Founder and CEO at Steel City Interactive, said:
“As someone who grew up in the immediate area, I could not be prouder to make Steel City Stadium the home of UNDISPUTED. Having witnessed the incredible regeneration of the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, it’s fantastic to see how the area has been transformed into a place that inspires creativity and innovation. It provides the perfect setting for Steel City Interactive as we continue our vision to set the benchmark for authenticity, artistry, and evolution in interactive sports.”
The new tenant suits the site’s history too. A studio named after Sheffield’s industrial past is moving onto the former Brown Bayley’s Steel Works, where Harry Brearley, the pioneer of stainless steel, once worked. The Stadium was renamed in 2025 in tribute to that history.
Scott McCabe, Director at SGI, said:
“Steel City Interactive is exactly the kind of business we hoped Steel City Stadium would attract when we built it. Three brothers started it here in Sheffield and it’s now known by boxing fans all over the world. It’s only right that a company carrying the city’s name should make its home on the site of one of its great steelworks. We couldn’t have asked for a more fitting tenant.”
It’s been a busy autumn at the Stadium. Only last month, Stadium Workspace reached full occupancy when Computacenter, Medaco and WWCS moved in. To make room for SCI, we're now building new workspace on the ground floor, so some existing occupiers can move down from the first floor.
Ian Sanderson, Estates and Development Consultant for SGI and owner of SLR Group, added:
“Out of town office deals in Sheffield are typically well under 10,000 sq ft, so for one of the city’s fastest growing creative companies to commit to more than 12,000 sq ft says a great deal about the Stadium and the wider Park as a business destination.”
UNDISPUTED launched in October 2024 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, with a roster of licensed fighters that includes Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Canelo Álvarez and Katie Taylor. SCI opened a second studio in Leamington Spa in 2025 and now employs 100 people.
SCI joins more than 40 organisations already based at the Stadium, including Medilink, Ice Hockey UK, UK NEQAS and Sheffield & Hallamshire County FA. Alongside its offices, the Stadium has a professional 3G pitch, a 2,044-capacity grandstand, and meeting and event space.
Coworking desks and virtual office packages are still available at Stadium Workspace. To find out more or arrange a visit, contact Daniel Kirby on 0114 499 0060 or daniel@steelcitystadium.com.
Tim Bottrill at coloco acted as our agent.
By David Wells, Development Director, Scarborough Group International
I have worked in property for more than 35 years, and for almost all of that time the upward-only rent review has been standard in commercial leases. Every five years or so the rent was reviewed against the market. If the market had risen, the rent went up. If it had fallen, the rent stayed where it was.
That is about to change. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act received Royal Assent on 29 April, and it bans upward-only reviews in new business leases in England and Wales. There is no start date yet. Most lawyers expect it to come into force in 2027 at the earliest, as the government has yet to consult on the detail and the regulations that bring it into force haven't been drafted.
Our view, which won't be shared by every landlord, is that the principle is reasonable. Over fifty years we have found that our schemes do best when the businesses in them are doing well. A rent that can only go up, regardless of how the tenant is trading or what is happening in the local economy, doesn't sit easily with that. The government's case rests on struggling high streets and small businesses facing rent rises they can't afford. We see some of that in Scarborough, where we are redeveloping the former Brunswick Centre as SQ1, so we understand why ministers want to act. The counter-argument is that both parties agreed those terms when the lease was signed.
Once the ban starts, any new lease or renewal that includes a rent review will have to allow the rent to fall as well as rise. Reviews to open market rent, or linked to an index or turnover, will still be permitted as long as they work in both directions (Stephenson Harwood). Fixed rents and stepped increases are unaffected, because the figures are agreed at the outset. Existing leases are not caught. However, renewals agreed with existing tenants on or after 17 March 2026 are, and the parties can't contract out (Mishcon de Reya).
The ban was included in a bill brought forward when Angela Rayner was Deputy Prime Minister. She returned as Housing Secretary in July, so the regulations that bring it into force will be shaped by the minister most closely associated with the policy.
The UK's commercial property investment market is worth just under £600bn. Pension funds own around £32bn of UK commercial property directly and have roughly another £100bn invested in property through funds and other vehicles. Local government pension schemes alone have around 8% of their £402bn of assets in property. It is a relatively illiquid asset, but because an upward-only review means the rent can’t fall, the income has been predictable enough to match against pension payments.
Knight Frank expects long-income and liability-matching funds to be most affected, and thinks some of that money could move into bonds. Its view is that values would adjust modestly if collars are permitted, and more significantly if they are not. Ireland banned upward-only reviews in 2010. The result there was a two-tier market, with older leases valued more highly, and a move towards shorter lease terms.
At the same time, the government is pushing pension funds to invest more in the UK. Under the Mansion House Accord, 17 of the largest workplace pension providers aim to put 10% of their default funds into private markets by 2030, with at least half of that in the UK. The Pension Schemes Act 2026 gives ministers a reserve power to require it. If the government wants pension savings invested in UK property and regeneration, it needs to make sure the income from those investments stays reliable enough to justify the decision.
The ban will also put more pressure on property companies which, in our view, are already undervalued, because the value of their portfolios will be less certain if rents can fall. RICS will need to give valuers clear guidance on how these new leases should be valued. We may also see reviews become more frequent than the usual three or five years, so that rents track the market more closely.
First, the consultation on caps and collars that the government has promised should be published before the ban comes into force. A collar matched with a cap would limit how far rents could move in either direction, protecting tenants from sharp increases and giving investors and lenders an income they can value.
Second, the remaining grey areas need clearing up quickly. The government has already issued guidance confirming that where a lease has more than one reference figure, such as market rent and an index, the higher can be used. More of that kind of clarity is needed, because uncertainty adds cost, particularly on large developments where pre-lets are agreed years before the building is finished.
Third, the ban should be considered alongside the Law Commission's review of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954. Its second consultation closed in September and contains some sensible proposals, including contracting out through the lease itself rather than through separate statutory declarations, taking very short lettings out of the regime, and allowing landlords to recover premises for retrofit as well as redevelopment. The 1954 Act needs updating, but if the two reforms are brought in separately there is a risk that leases become harder to draft and harder to value.
Our approach has never depended on lease clauses. At Thorpe Park we have kept investing in the place for 25 years, adding shops, leisure, parkland and homes alongside the offices, because that is what keeps occupiers coming. If rents can move both ways in future, landlords who look after their buildings and their tenants should cope well.
The Chancellor, John Healey, delivered his first Budget on 28 October. There was plenty in it for property, including more business rates relief for small retail, hospitality and leisure firms and stamp duty relief for local government pension schemes moving property into their new pools. It said nothing about when the ban will start or when the consultation on caps and collars will be published. That now sits with Angela Rayner’s department, and we’d urge it to set out a timetable soon. When the consultation comes, we will respond to it, and we would encourage other long-term owners to do the same. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in 35 years, it’s that the property market is remarkably good at adapting to change.
This is general commentary, not legal advice.
CyanLines has welcomed Middlewood Locks - Salford’s multi-award-winning £1 billion mixed-use regeneration neighbourhood - as its newest private-sector partner.
Middlewood Locks is located on CL4, the Irwell & Castlefield Loop, a route of approximately 8 km (5 miles) connecting Manchester and Salford through rivers, canals, heritage and green spaces.
The partnership brings together CyanLines’ ambition to create nature-rich walking, wheeling and cycling connections with Middlewood Locks’ commitment to placemaking, biodiversity, accessible waterside public realm and sustainable urban regeneration.
Developed as a joint venture by ourselves and Metro Holdings, Middlewood Locks is transforming a 25-acre former brownfield site around three large basins of the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Canal. The neighbourhood is now home to more than 2,600 residents in 1,306 homes, supported by retail and leisure amenities and extensive public realm.
Its position on CL4 makes Middlewood Locks an important gateway between Salford and Manchester city centre. The development has received national and regional recognition for its social impact and for its secure, welcoming walking and cycling connections.
As a private-sector partner, Scarborough Group International will support CyanLines’ work on CL4. The partnership comes as Middlewood Locks celebrates its 10th anniversary and prepares for its next major phase: design and enabling work for up to 909 further homes on the remaining 10-acre site.
Steve Connor, Programme Director for CyanLines said:
“Middlewood Locks is an important part of the landscape linking Salford and Manchester and already demonstrates the value of investing in welcoming waterside public spaces. We are delighted to welcome Scarborough Group International as a private-sector partner and to build on the opportunities created by Middlewood Locks’ location on CL4.”
Nicola Wallis, Group Residential Sales & Marketing Director at Scarborough Group International, said,
“It's wonderful to be part of such a fantastic initiative. One of the routes comes through the heart of Middlewood Locks along the canal, which is brilliant. We’ll be involved in work to help clear pathways and support the wider vision. It’s about wellbeing and access to green space for everyone - particularly in a city where many people live in apartments and may not have access to gardens.
“As developers, we have a responsibility to get behind initiatives like this, especially where routes pass through land owned or managed by different stakeholders. The more landowners and developers who support it, the easier it becomes to connect the whole network of pathways, parks and waterways.
“It has always been our vision to make Middlewood Locks a welcoming place for everyone to come and enjoy. Joining CyanLines is a natural next step and reflects our shared ambition to make Greater Manchester greener, healthier and better connected.”
CyanLines is the nature-powered partnership project aiming to connect Greater Manchester’s parks, squares, rivers, canals and viaducts into a high-quality network of walking, wheeling and cycling routes for residents, visitors and nature.
The long-term vision is to develop a network of hundreds of miles of CyanLines routes over ten years, starting with the city centres of Manchester and Salford and then stretching out across Greater Manchester to deliver a greener, healthier and more climate-resilient city for the future.
CL4 brings together Roman heritage, river and canal landscapes, Castlefield Viaduct’s park in the sky and the distinctive canalside neighbourhood at Middlewood Locks.
www.cyanlines.com
Instagram: @CyanLines
LinkedIn: CyanLines
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Episode 06 of our podcast series is now live.
Created to mark 50 years of Scarborough Group International,Pull, Push & Shove explores the people, partnerships and defining momentsthat have shaped the business over five decades.
In the penultimate episode, host and three-time World SquashChampion Nick Matthew OBE is joined by our Founder and Chairman, Kevin McCabe,and long-standing adviser and Scarborough Group Foundation trustee Cesidio DiCiacca. They reflect on the trust and loyalty behind a working relationshipthat began in the 1970s, and on what it means to build something that lastsbeyond buildings.
The conversation turns to the Foundation and its support foryoung people, sport and health. Cesidio describes how Sandra McCabe helps guideits work with charities, while Kevin reflects on family, the next generationand the values he hopes to pass on. Together, they consider the legacy of thepast 50 years and the relationships that will carry it forward.
Explore the series and watch Episode 06 in full.
🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0oJ3zO06iK5G7SOZQh0RKF?si=kTwYkEPCSNWp63z7R6DZLA
🎬 YouTube: https://youtu.be/mYceBSPfksU
Together with our joint venture partner, Greyfriars Investments we have launched a public consultation on plans for the proposed first phase of employment-led development at Flaxby Park, giving local communities, businesses and stakeholders the opportunity to help shape the proposals before they are finalised.
The plans relate to approximately 99.6 acres of land on the eastern side of Flaxby Park, adjacent to Junction 47 of the A1(M), where a hybrid planning application is being prepared for up to 810,000 sq ft of high-quality employment space. Together with a proposed Transport and Mobility Hub, extensive landscaping, ecological enhancements and sustainable drainage infrastructure, the development has the potential to support between 1,075 and 2,090 operational jobs while helping address the shortage of modern employment space in North Yorkshire and creating opportunities for inward investment, business growth and long-term economic prosperity. Buildings are being designed to target BREEAM Excellent and EPC A standards.
The consultation is the latest stage of engagement on Flaxby Park. Over the past eighteen months, since officially becoming a joint venture partner in the project, SGI has worked with local stakeholders and community representatives to help shape a long-term vision for the wider 280-acre site. That engagement has directly informed the first phase of employment-led development proposals now being presented for consultation, while the wider vision for Flaxby Park continues to be promoted separately through the emerging North Yorkshire Local Plan process.
Adam Varley, Development Director at Scarborough Group International, said:
"From the outset, we've been clear that Flaxby Park's future should be shaped through open and meaningful engagement.
"We've worked closely with local stakeholders and community representatives to develop proposals that respond to local priorities while supporting the county's long-term economic ambitions. We've listened carefully to the issues people have raised, from prioritising and enhancing the landscape and ecology to creating high-quality jobs, carefully considering connectivity and ensuring development comes forward in a considered and phased way.
"This consultation is a further opportunity for people to review the plans, share their views and help shape the final proposals before they are submitted to North Yorkshire Council later this year."
The public consultation will run from Wednesday 16 September to Wednesday 7 October 2026. The proposals and feedback form are available at flaxbypark.consultationonline.co.uk.
A public exhibition will also be held at Goldsborough Cricket Club on Wednesday 23 September, from 3pm to 7pm, where members of the community can meet the project team and discuss the proposals.
Feedback received will help shape the plans before a planning application is submitted to North Yorkshire Council later this year.
This consultation relates solely to the proposed first phase of employment development. The wider vision for Flaxby Park, which continues to be promoted separately through the emerging North Yorkshire Local Plan process, does not form part of the forthcoming planning application.
Through Thorpe Park Developments Ltd, we're bringing forward the circa 90,000 sq ft, four-storey facility in partnership with Delta Academies Trust.
Subject to planning and Department for Education approvals, Delta would relocate its existing post-16 provision at Garforth Academy to the purpose-built facility, increasing capacity from around 400 students to up to 1,000. The relocation would also release space at Garforth Academy for its 11-16 provision, allowing existing facilities to be repurposed and supporting wider improvements across the school. Designed by AHR, the four-storey building has been developed specifically for post-16 learning, combining teaching spaces with areas for independent study and student life. Sustainability is integral to the design, which is targeting BREEAM Excellent.
The application comes as Leeds experiences significant growth in its 16-17 population. The city’s current Year 11 population of 8,714 is projected to increase to 10,015 by 2028/29 - the highest projected growth of any English local authority, according to ONS data.
The new college would offer a broad curriculum combining A Levels with technical and vocational routes, including T Levels and the soon-to-be-released V-Levels, providing different pathways into higher education, apprenticeships and employment.
Its location at Thorpe Park would place students within an established business community of more than 100 businesses and around 7,500 employees, creating opportunities for work experience, employer-led placements and closer links between post-16 learning and future careers.
For businesses, it would also create opportunities to engage with emerging talent and help shape the skills needed by employers across Leeds and the wider city region.
The college would also sit close to growing communities across East Leeds and alongside the existing mix of employment, retail, leisure and green space at Thorpe Park. Students would have access to The Springs retail and leisure centre, 150 acres of open space at Green Park and Leeds City Council's planned Park Life sports hub.
Thorpe Park is already served by road, bus, walking and cycling routes. However, the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Network Rail are currently advancing their ambitions to build a new railway station at Thorpe Park.
The planning submission follows public consultation over the summer, which attracted positive engagement and strong support from those who responded. Feedback received during the consultation has helped inform the design and the application now before Leeds City Council, with 68.5% of respondents supporting the plans.
Adam Varley, Development Director at Scarborough Group International, said:
“There’s something really compelling about giving young people the opportunity to take their next step in a place like Thorpe Park. They would be surrounded by businesses of all sizes and sectors, seeing first-hand the breadth of careers available to them and, importantly, having opportunities to build those connections before they leave post-16 education.
“For the businesses already here, and those we hope to attract in the future, there’s an equally exciting opportunity to engage with emerging talent, share skills and experience and help young people understand where their studies could take them. That relationship has the potential to be incredibly valuable on both sides.
“Submitting the planning application brings that vision a step closer. It would also introduce something completely new to Thorpe Park, adding to the mix of people and uses here and bringing another generation into the life of the Park.
“We’ve had some really constructive feedback through the consultation and I’d like to thank everyone who took the time to get involved. We’ll continue that dialogue as the application moves forward.”
Andy Barnett, CEO at Delta Academies Trust, said:
“The submission of this planning application represents an exciting milestone in our plans to establish Thorpe Park College and provide more high-quality educational opportunities for young people in Leeds.
“At Delta Academies Trust, we are committed to creating ambitious, inclusive learning environments where every young person can achieve their full potential. Thorpe Park College is a significant investment in the future of local families, providing students with an inspiring setting in which to learn, grow and prepare for the opportunities ahead.
“We believe these proposals have the potential to make a lasting contribution to the local community and to the wider educational landscape across Leeds. We look forward to engaging with the local community and stakeholders as the planning process progresses.”
The planning application has been submitted to Leeds City Council by Zerum on behalf of Thorpe Park Developments Ltd.
The wider project team includes AHR as architect, Zerum as planning consultant, Mosodi as transport planning consultant, BWF as cost consultant, Buro Happold as engineer, Ares as landscape architect and Willmott Dixon as contractor.
Subject to planning and the necessary Department for Education approvals, the new college is targeting an opening in autumn 2028.
The submission forms part of the next phase of growth at Thorpe Park Leeds. Over the last 25 years, more than one million sq ft of workspace has been delivered alongside The Springs retail and leisure destination and 300 homes. The masterplan envisages Thorpe Park growing to more than 2.8 million sq ft, with further office, industrial and logistics, hospitality, leisure and residential development planned.
By Simon McCabe, Chief Executive, Scarborough Group International
In the opening weeks of Andy Burnham’s premiership, we’re starting to get a much clearer picture of how this Government intends to stimulate development and economic growth.
The new National Planning Policy Framework was a significant first move. Now we have proposals to give mayors across England powers to call in strategically important planning applications, grant permission directly in certain circumstances and have a much greater say over how national housing and infrastructure funding is deployed in their regions.
Taken together, it’s a significant shift and, from a developer’s perspective, there’s a lot to like about the direction of travel. A planning system that provides greater certainty, supports investment and helps good development come forward more quickly is something our industry has been asking for over many years. Whether these changes achieve that will depend on how they work in practice.
For those of us trying to deliver large-scale regeneration, the problem has rarely been a shortage of ambition or ideas. The hard part is turning them into something viable, fundable and deliverable while bringing together land, infrastructure, planning, occupiers, investment and the interests of communities. When you’re working on projects that can take ten, twenty or even thirty years to complete, the ability to make decisions with some degree of certainty is hugely important.
There is plenty in the new NPPF that should help. Stronger support for development around transport hubs, better use of brownfield and underused land, clearer backing for economic development and strategic growth sectors, and a more strategic approach across local authority boundaries all make sense. So does the underlying principle that planning should enable growth rather than frustrate it.
At the same time, the framework is much firmer about what is expected from developers, particularly around affordable housing, accessibility, density, build-out and community benefit. Those requirements will need to be understood from the outset and reflected in what developers pay for land, how schemes are appraised and designed, the infrastructure they require and, ultimately, whether they can be delivered.
The ability to use viability to revisit obligations later has also been significantly tightened. I don’t necessarily see greater clarity as a bad thing. If everyone understands the rules from the beginning and, crucially, those rules are applied consistently, we can make better decisions about land, investment and design rather than revisiting fundamental assumptions further down the line.
The latest announcement on mayoral powers adds another interesting dimension. Under the proposals, mayors outside London would be able to call in applications of strategic importance, with thresholds including schemes of more than 150 homes or 15,000 square metres of commercial space. So we’re not talking about powers that would apply only to a handful of enormous projects; potentially, they could affect a sizeable proportion of the development needed to support growth across our major towns and cities.
From where we sit, there is logic in taking a more strategic view. The economic geography of our cities and regions has never respected local authority boundaries. People live in one authority and work in another, businesses draw employees from across whole city regions, transport investment changes the prospects of places miles away and the infrastructure needed to unlock major regeneration can have implications far beyond an individual site. Decisions about growth need to reflect that wider geography.
What’s particularly interesting is that the Government isn’t looking at planning in isolation. Alongside the proposed new powers, mayors are being given a greater say over how Homes England funding is directed. £1.3 billion from the national land and infrastructure fund has already been allocated to the seven most established mayoral areas, alongside further funding for brownfield development and housing acceleration, while mayors outside London are set to gain the ability to levy development to help pay for major infrastructure.
Anyone who has spent time trying to unlock a difficult regeneration site knows that securing planning permission is only part of the job. You can have an allocation, a supportive local authority and a perfectly good consent, but if the transport, utilities, remediation or other enabling infrastructure isn’t there, development can still sit on paper for years. Bringing decisions about planning, infrastructure and investment closer together could make a real difference, provided it removes barriers rather than creating another route through the system.
One of developers’ biggest frustrations with the current system is simply the time it can take. Too much red tape, rising costs and decisions that extend well beyond statutory timeframes can mean the market moves before a scheme is ready to proceed. Opportunities are missed, investment is delayed and, in some cases, projects simply don’t happen. Reform has to address that if it is genuinely going to unlock development.
Large regeneration projects don’t fit neatly into political or planning cycles, and they certainly don’t stand still for twenty years. Markets move, infrastructure requirements evolve, occupiers change and the mix of uses that made sense when a masterplan was first conceived may look very different by the time later phases are delivered. Giving strategic sites a clear consenting framework while retaining enough flexibility to respond as circumstances change feels much closer to the reality of how these projects are delivered.
There are obviously questions still to answer. Giving mayors greater powers should speed development up if responsibilities are clear, decisions are made in sensible timeframes and mayoral offices work closely with property owners, developers and local authorities. Nobody in the industry wants to see one lengthy process replaced by another, nor should a more strategic approach come at the expense of proper local engagement. The knowledge within local authorities and communities remains an important part of getting development right.
Resourcing is equally important. We can rewrite national policy and change where decisions are taken, but somebody still has to process applications, negotiate agreements and work through the detail. Planning departments have been under enormous pressure for years and, unless capacity is addressed alongside structural reform, there’s a danger the bottleneck simply moves rather than disappears.
As Scarborough Group International marks its 50th anniversary this year, we’ve inevitably spent time looking back at how the property industry has changed over those five decades. We’ve worked through different governments, planning regimes and more than a few economic cycles, and we’ve seen plenty of reforms intended to get Britain building. Some have genuinely helped; others have generated a great deal of activity without necessarily making it any easier to turn an ambitious plan into a completed development.
Perhaps that’s why the current direction is worth watching. Rather than one isolated change to planning policy, we’re beginning to see an attempt to connect things that have too often been dealt with separately: where growth should happen, who makes the decisions, how infrastructure is funded and how public investment can unlock private investment. The new NPPF already gives greater importance to mayors and Spatial Development Strategies, and the latest announcement pushes further in the same direction.
It’s far too early to know whether it will work. What developers will be looking for now is consistency and follow-through: clear rules that don’t keep changing, planning authorities with the resources to make timely decisions, infrastructure investment that unlocks rather than follows development, and a willingness across the public and private sectors to deal pragmatically with the issues that stop viable schemes moving.
If the Prime Minister’s reforms can bring those things together, there is a genuine opportunity to get more good development underway and more investment flowing into the places that need it.
That’s ultimately how this agenda should be judged: not by the number of planning policies rewritten or new powers announced, but by whether, a few years from now, we can point to more homes being built, more regeneration schemes progressing, more infrastructure being delivered and more businesses investing as a result.
