Business park to get bigger

Norwich's largest business park is set to get even bigger after its owners revealed plans for a second phase.

Lothbury Property Trust has applied for permission to develop the second phase of the Broadland Business Park on the city's eastern edge.

The park has already attracted a number of high-profile occupiers, including Norwich Union, Start-rite and Makro. And new facilities including a nursery, a pub and hotel and health club have also been built.

Lothbury wants to build a total of 750,000sq ft of light and general industrial and ware-housing accommodation on 73 acres at Laurel Farm.

The land is immediately north of the existing develop-ment and is already allocated for industrial use in the local plan.

The proposals also include major improvements to Green Lane South, which runs along the eastern side of the proposed park extension, and other infrastructure work to support the new development.

Lothbury is also planning to provide land by the Norwich to Sheringham railway line so a station could be built in the future to serve Dussindale Park and the business park.

Simon Radford, director of CBRE Investors which advises Lothbury, said: "This is a very exciting opportunity to gener-ate new jobs in modern, purpose-designed business units with all the supporting services and infrastructure, with access directly on to the A47 and the rest of the region's trunk road network."

As well as industrial and warehousing accommodation, Lothbury is proposing a green landscaped strip designed to encourage wildlife along the boundary with the railway line, as well as extensive landscaping.

It is also looking to incorporate cycle links and footpaths and talking to bus operators about improving their links with the park.

Mr Radford said: "This application is an important forward planning exercise for us. We are buoyed by the interest we are receiving."