A £4 million expansion of Kingmoor Park north of Carlisle has been welcomed as a sign of the city’s economic revival.

Bosses at the prestigious business park are pressing ahead with the development of up to 19 new units that will be used by small and medium-sized businesses – potentially creating scores of jobs in the years ahead.

Nearly £1.5m of the project’s cost will be funded by a grant from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), which promotes economic regeneration.

When the building of the new units starts this summer, it will be one of the first speculative industrial developments in the county since the credit crunch say bosses at Kingmoor Park Properties, which will meet the reminder of the project’s cost.

Last year, the Government awarded Kingmoor Park Enterprise Zone status, giving some businesses at the site key financial advantages, including simplified planning rules.

Carlisle City Council leader Colin Glover welcomed the new investment.


Colin Glover “I’m delighted that Kingmoor Park Properties are continuing to work towards meeting the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) active in the Carlisle area and beyond,” he said.

“The development at Kingmoor Park Central will create job opportunities for the residents of Carlisle and those in the surrounding area, which will not only enhance wellbeing but will also, contribute to the economy.”

Reacting to news of the new development, Carlisle MP John Stevenson said: “This is really positive news for Carlisle, and it’s further evidence of the strong confidence there now is in this city’s economy.

“Big schemes are always very welcome.

“We’ve seen investment from Pioneer at Rosehill; investment from McVitie’s, and not just in flood defences; and we’ve seen investment from Pirelli. But it’s also really important to see the cumulative effect of investment from a variety of businesses.

“We’re now also seeing investment from smaller businesses.”

Kingmoor Park Properties chief executive Ross Nicolson thanked the Department for Communities and Local Government for approving the £1.466m grant from the European Regional Development Fund.

“When we start construction later this summer it will be one of the first speculative industrial developments in Cumbria since the credit crunch,” he said.

“We have been considering schemes on both of these development plots for a number of years, and although Kingmoor Park Properties have a proven track record for delivering employment space we have been unable to progress our plans in part due to the lack of finance available to SME businesses in the current economic climate.

“This funding, along with significant investment from Kingmoor Park Properties ourselves, will now enable this development to proceed which we firmly believe will bring both significant economic and employment benefits to Carlisle.”

The development will open up opportunities for both new and existing small and medium-sized businesses, he said.

He added: “We are keen to support the inward migration of new entrepreneurs to the area. The project will create new space which exceeds current environmental standards, allowing SMEs to enjoy energy-efficiency savings and meet customer expectations and requirements for supply chain carbon reduction.”

The scheme is being marketed by Carigiet Cowen.

Kingmoor Park is north Cumbria’s best-known business park, with 2,000,000 square feet of industrial, office, and warehouse buildings set in 400 acres of landscaped grounds just a short drive from the M6.

It was reported last week that a Mercedes Benz dealership and a national pub chain operator could be among the first businesses to set up within the Kingmoor Park Enterprise Zone – the first to be approved in Carlisle.

Ultimately, the zone is expected to create an additional 3,000 jobs and attract around £190m of private-sector investment.