A HUGE plant hire and distribution company wants to bring more than 40 jobs to York.

There are doubts that a big tract of land can be found for it to move into the city itself but, thanks to the Evening Press, agents for the organisation will consider a site at Sherburn Enterprise Park.

The London-based Plc - which its agents will not name - wants a four to eight-acre freehold site in York as the northern centre for its plant hire and distribution operation.

It wants it now, in time to actually become operational by next autumn or winter.

But if there is no available land in the York area, then it may be forced to consider Doncaster instead. Requirements have been issued to York commercial estate agents. Many shrug at its chances of finding a site in or near the city.

But a series of phone calls by the Evening Press succeeded in putting york-england.com, the inward investment board covering Greater York as well as much of North Yorkshire, in touch with the Plc's London agents, Latham Yeomans.

The result is a promised visit by the agents next month to a 7.78 acre plot in Hurricane Way, Sherburn-in-Elmet, at the entrance to the Sherburn Enterprise Park.

Latham Yeo-mans, partner for the London agents, said: "Our clients, who are seeking to expand, would be creating 40 or more jobs, many of them skilled because the business would also entail plant servicing and heavy duty machinery.

"The plant would be the epicentre of its northern business

"We are in the market to buy a site which could quickly connect with an A-route, but preferably a motorway."

Dave Taylor, marketing director of york-england.com, agreed that there was nothing in the city of York boundaries which would fit the bill.

The best it could offer was the two acre former site of Pocklington Coachworks in Outgang Lane, Osbaldwick.

But Denise Dodd, operations director of york-england.com, said: "The agents were impressed by the Evening Press proactive response and has asked for more detailed information about the Sherburn Enterprise Park site."

The park, in the Selby district is on the B1222 close to the junction with the A162 Sherburn an South Milford by-pass.

Updated: 10:37 Thursday, July 22, 2004