Wykeland has teamed up with Yorkshire Wildlife Trust to increase biodiversity at its £100m ‘green’ business park

The Bridgehead scheme will create a total of 612,000sqft of offices, research and development space and high tech/clean manufacturing premises, along with up to 3,000 permanent jobs.

More than 40% of the development will be given over to creating a ‘living landscape’ – a managed ecosystem dedicated to helping promote a large diversity of flora and fauna to flourish.

Ivan Hinchliffe, Wykeland’s planning manager, said the developer and the Trust had signed an agreement to work together throughout the duration of the project.

He said that Yorkshire Wildlife Trust had been involved in the design of the business park and in creating a detailed biodiversity and landscape strategy for the wider site.

Mr Hinchliffe said: “As a conservation body, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is particularly concerned that wildlife does not lose out to development. However, they also understand that economic development has to happen and that business and nature can work in sustainable harmony.

“Therefore, we agreed to work together to deliver the best possible solutions from a business, ecological and conservation standpoint.”

Work is due to start at Bridgehead by spring 2012 and the first occupiers are forecast to be on the site by the end of the year.

Wykeland said the scheme would complement its nearby Melton West Business Park, where 550,000sqft of manufacturing and warehouse space has already been developed over the last three and a half years.

Terry Smithson, from Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, the tie-up would contribute towards the Trust’s vision for ‘A Living Landscape’ which aims to reconnect wildlife-rich spaces in urban and rural landscapes by working closely with local communities, landowners, schools and businesses.”