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THORPE PARK LEEDS OFFICIALLY BIKE FRIENDLY

 

 

An award-winning business park on the outskirts of Leeds city centre has received recognition for its cycle to work support to over 4000 workers across 60 businesses on site.

Thorpe Park Leeds has been awarded a bronze accreditation as part of the CityConnect ‘Bike Friendly Businesses’ scheme. This recognises efforts from the park’s estate and travel management teams in providing facilities and support that encourages cycling to work.

The accreditation also meant that Thorpe Park Leeds could apply for a grant of up to £5000 to fund further efforts to help cyclists go that extra mile. An application was made to match fund a new cycle fix-it station, providing cyclists with communal bike repair tools and an air pump, which they can use free of charge.

CityConnect is funded through the Department for Transport’s Cycle City Ambition Grant and local match funding. This money is ring-fenced for spend on cycling and walking improvements. West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) together with local partners successfully bid for £40 million of Department for Transport funding.

Georgina Stares at TPS Transport Consultants Ltd, which is retained to manage the development and implementation of sustainable travel-related measures at Thorpe Park Leeds, said,

“We are delighted to receive this accreditation which goes to recognise the broad range of initiatives we have in place to support and encourage cyclists at Thorpe Park Leeds. The report praised businesses on site for providing good quality and well-lit cycle parking for staff and visitors. It also praised our community engagement initiatives and events which include free monthly Dr Bike sessions and an active Bicycle User Group (BUG), all promoted effectively through the ParkLife community portal on the website.

Simon Marshall, joint chief executive at Scarborough International Properties which owns the site in partnership with Legal & General Capital, said,

“This is fantastic news for the team who have gone to great lengths to introduce sustainable travel benefits for all who work at Thorpe Park Leeds. We recognise that a great working environment isn’t just about the building you are based in, it’s about the community you are a part of and as such our ParkLife platform seeks to unite and engage occupiers for the wider benefit.

“We are now progressing the next significant stage of development to deliver over 1.5 million sq ft of mixed use accommodation and anticipate that nearly 13,500 people will work at Thorpe Park Leeds when completed. It is therefore fundamental that we continue our investment to excel in our support to all occupiers and employees in the long term.”

Thorpe Park Leeds is a well-established 800,000 sq ft business park with over 60 occupiers including IBM, National Grid, Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Atkins, BAM and United Utilities.

Delivery of the next phase of development follows a £162 million investment by Legal & General Capital as joint development partner with Scarborough International Properties. Construction work is already underway to deliver a new 300,000 sq ft shopping and leisure park and the first phase of 940,000 sq ft of offices. The development also includes 300 new homes by Redrow and a 110-acre public park with sports facilities.

Thorpe Park Leeds recently won the coveted ‘Best Deal’ Award at the Yorkshire Property Awards 2016 for its ground-breaking funding arrangement with Legal & General Capital.   Kevin McCabe, founder and Chairman of Scarborough International Properties was also awarded Property Entrepreneur of the Year at the Insider Property Industry Awards 2016 for his role in attracting Far East investment to Yorkshire.