TWO thousand jobs could be created in Worcester with the development of a new hi-tech business park close to Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

Thirteen offices, a pub and creche would be built on a 28-acre greenfield site off Newtown Road as part of plans which have been put before the city council.

The park would form a key part of the Central Technology Belt, the science-based initiative that runs through Worcester from Birmingham to Malvern.

Agent for landowners Spetchley Estates Mervyn Dobson said: "I believe it will make quite a difference to the city. It will enable it to attract not only new firms but will also provide relocation or overspill land for some of the older existing sites."

He estimated that between 1,500 and 2,000 jobs would be created in the seven years it takes to complete the park, with more than half of the posts going to existing city residents.

The council's economic development chief Linda Allen said the land was already designated for office use and was being promoted for hi-tech and research use.

"The site is ideally placed and we will be working with the Central Technology Belt and Advantage West Midlands to promote it for those types of uses," she said.

"As for where these people would live, we expect a lot of them will already be living in the city, and if not, there are enough housing developments to accommodate these people anyway."

The plan also includes car parking and landscaping. An access road and new roundabout would be added to Newtown Road to serve the site which, along with Grove Farm, is one of two major employment sites earmarked for the city.

Although it is not yet known which businesses will set up offices on the site, it has been reported that there is a lot of interest in it.

"The site is in an excellent location for Worcester city centre and for the motorway network, and is, of course, on the technology belt," said Ian Ashworth, development consultant for Strutt & Partner, which is acting on behalf of Spetchley Estates.

"As a result of all of this there has been quite a lot of interest in the land over the years."

Christine Jones, chief executive of the Chamber of Commerce Herefordshire and Worcestershire, welcomed the news.

"There's huge demand to site offices here because of the ease of access to the motorway network. As well, businesses like the fact that we have a skilled workforce, and employees like the Worcestershire lifestyle," she added.

"Increasingly, employees are looking for a work-life balance and we have this because we are a major urban area but with immediate access to the countryside and amenities as well."

Growth of Royal at risk

THE outline plan for the development of a new high-tech business park in Worcester has already been met by scepticism.

At last night's meeting of Warndon Parish Council, members feared the go-ahead would prevent expansion of the nearby Worcestershire Royal Hospital, if that were to be needed in the future.

The parish council was considering at the meeting what comments, if any, it wanted to pass on to the city council regarding the plan.

It also decided that the plan should account for an increase in traffic and that the design submitted was not sufficient enough to consider the proposal properly.

"As yet, we don't know exactly what it's going to look like. It's not a decent design brief," said parish councillor Ray Morris.

BLOB: The outline plans will be exhibited at the Salvation Army Hall, Norwich Road, Ronkswood from 3pm to 8pm this Thursday and Friday. Any member of the public who wishes to comment should do so by April 25 by writing to: M Dobson/G Jones, Pegasus Planning Group, 60-20 Spital Lane, Cirencester, GL7 2DR.