The man campaigning to be York Outer’s Labour MP is calling on all political parties in York to join forces and back the expansion of Pavers’ HQ near Poppleton.

Luke Charters, who is standing against sitting Conservative MP Julian Sturdy at the next General Election, made the plea following a visit to the company in Northminster Business Park.

Last November, the former Liberal Democrat and Green Party run City of York Council narrowly refused plans for a £10 million warehouse expansion.

The decision was because the arable and grazing land site was on Green Belt land, with further concerns over noise, lighting and sustainable transport.

READ MORE:

This immediately led Pavers to withdraw plans for a £9 million office scheme on the site and to further threaten to pull out of York entirely.

However, following the election of a Labour-run council in May, the company in June resubmitted its plans for £19 million of new office and warehousing space saying it had addressed the reasons for the refusal.

Two separate planning applications promise to create 130 jobs, adding to the 300 already there, and guarantee the firm’s long-term future in the city. 

City of York Council had originally aimed to determine the planning applications in September, but council planners have since told the company it now aims to bring the applications before planning committee in November.

Luke Charters visited the site and met Head of Facilities Jim Young to see for himself how critical the proposals are to support the storage and distribution of product, linking to existing infrastructure on site.

Luke said: “Pavers is a fantastic business, and we should be proud that it calls York its home. I have always admired the history of Pavers, founded by an ambitious York mum, Catherine Paver, on the back of a £200 loan! 

“Pavers’ expansion proposals have been very carefully developed . Anyone visiting the site can plainly and clearly see why this is an exceptional case. 

“We all need to get behind this plan to get our local economy growing, to create local jobs, and safeguard Pavers’ future.”

His support follows that of the York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce who in June called for the Paver’s expansion, branding its rejection “ill-judged.”

And in July, Luke’s opponent, Julian Sturdy MP wrote to the council to say he backed the scheme to “retain and deliver new high-quality jobs and help to scale up a major local business which contributes significantly to York’s economy.”

The Tory MP noted Paver’s growth in online sales meant the site had reached operational capacity.

He added: “If York is to retain major businesses like Pavers, we should not put blockers in their way to sustainability and sensibly expand. Approving this planning application would send a positive message that York is open for business and works with local companies, not against them.”