It takes stamina to jump all the hurdles of the British planning approval system. So, it is justified for any developer to applaud clearing obstacles loudly. Harworth Group has achieved a significant milestone in that respect. North Yorkshire Council’s Strategic Planning Committee has passed a resolution granting planning permission for their proposed redevelopment of a brownfield site formerly used by a decommissioned coal mine, once known as Gascoigne Wood.
As the developers named it, Gascoigne Interchange at Selby, near Leeds, would transform a 185-acre (75-hectare) brownfield site into a state-of-the-art industrial and logistics hub with a rail freight terminal. The Gascoigne Interchange would serve a warehouse and industrial capacity of up to 1.5 million square feet (140.000 square metres) of industrial and logistics space.
The site would have an estimated gross development value (GDV) of up to GBP£190 million (€222 million). Harworth Group plans to develop seven Grade A units, ranging from 57,000 square feet to one million square feet (5.300 to 93.000 square metres). Construction is slated to commence in 2025.
Adjacent site is already in rail terminal use
The site is strategically located adjacent to the Sherburn Industrial Estate and boasts extensive rail connectivity, offering a unique advantage for low-carbon freight movement. The development will leverage its mainline rail connections to support a variety of uses, potentially including a dedicated railhead for containers, bulk commodities, and express freight services. This positions Gascoigne Interchange as one of the region’s most strategically located, rail-connected industrial sites. Some of the existing infrastructure is already in use by MCL Rail, who operate a successful warm storage facility for rolling stock and motive power.
According to the developers, the site is accessible via a junction on the nearby A1(M) main road. The site already has an extensive rail layout, which originally served the coal mine. The sidings are on either side of the Leeds to Hull main line, part of the Transpennine route. The northern plots provide scope for a dedicated railhead, while the southern plots, with 1.200 metres of mainline frontage and dual-end connections, are ideal for a major intermodal terminal serving both on-site and off-site customers. This connectivity places most of the UK within a three-hour reach, enhancing the site’s appeal for logistics operations.
Local brewery hops into objection
Harworth’s decision to proceed with this development aligns with market trends identified by commercial property specialist Knight Frank. They forecast strong demand for sustainably built, strategically connected industrial units in Yorkshire. The absence of speculative institutional funding underscores the increasing prioritisation for high-quality, sustainable spaces. In other words, Haworth would be delighted if the development was pre-let as much as possible.
Development at the Gascoigne Interchange site has been ongoing, with Network Rail using part of the site as a logistics hub for the Transpennine Route Upgrade Project since 2021. The resolution to grant planning permission, secured this month, is a significant step forward. Infrastructure and development work is expected to begin later this year. Previous plans for the site had been rejected at the planning stage.
The plans have not been as acrimoniously resisted as some other proposals, such as the visceral fight against Radlett near St Albans. However, a local brewery, a generational employer in the area, did lodge a corporate objection. Their grounds were that the site had returned to a generally natural character in the two decades since the abandonment of coal production. The local administration, however, seems to agree that the site should once again become a key asset in Yorkshire’s industrial landscape. Perhaps the additional beer sales to site workers will soften the disappointment.
