Building work has started on the Hayle Marine Renewables Business Park which is being created to strengthen Cornwall’s growing marine renewables sector.
The Devon & Cornwall division of Midas Construction has won the contract to build the business park, which is part of the £24 million investment by Cornwall Council, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Government in the regeneration of Hayle Harbour.
Hayle is already home to Wave Hub Ltd, which operates the world’s largest marine energy test site 10 miles from the North Cornwall coast, as well as three marine energy demonstration zones.
The new business park is designed to accommodate companies in the growing marine energy sector and is being built on the site of a formal coal-fired power station at North Quay in Hayle now owned by Cornwall Council.
It will offer 2,500 sq metres of managed workspace including 900 m2 of modern office accommodation over two floors with Superfast fibre broadband and seven light industrial units varying in size from 200 to 250 m2. It is expected to open in summer 2015 and create 120 jobs.
Representatives from Cornwall Council, the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), marine energy industry and Midas Construction have officially marked the start of work on site.
John Pollard, Councillor for the Hayle North and Leader of Cornwall Council said: “This new business park will cement Cornwall’s position at the forefront of the development of marine energy, and as the local councillor I am proud to see Hayle – which is already home to Wave Hub – playing such an important part in this fast-growing industry.”
Mike O’Neill, divisional director for Midas Construction in Devon and Cornwall , said: “We are delighted to be Cornwall Council’s chosen developer for this cutting edge new business park. It is fantastic news for Cornwall that a local construction firm is delivering the work as it enables us to provide apprenticeship schemes, create jobs in the local area through our sub-contractors, and to offer vital local training opportunities to help people to explore career opportunities in the construction industry.”
Hayle MRBP is being developed as part of a collaborate package of investment in Hayle Harbour and North Quay, with £11.6million of funding from the ERDF, an £8million investment by Cornwall Council, and £4.25million from the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC), and the project is being managed by the Cornwall Development Company, the economic development company of Cornwall Council.