A FORMER Ministry of Defence depot in the green belt outside York is expected to be sold off for industrial use in a £1 million deal.

It is hoped the development of the former MOD warehouses at Hessay may spur an employment boost for the area and provide up to 190 jobs.

In a development brief, the City of York Council says the site, near the A59, 15km west of York and 50m from Hessay village, offers an employment opportunity within the green belt.

It has a possible rail freight connection, as the depot was once served by the York-Harrogate line. The sidings have been removed, but there is still a connection to the rail line, which could be reinstated.

Railtrack has identified the site as having potential for rail freight and it is included in their list of available sites. And grants from the Department of Transport might be available towards establishing a new sidings and for Railtrack charges.

The MOD used the site as a storage facility for the army, with some offices.

The area has now been identified as suitable for an industrial or distribution organisation or to be refurbished as an industrial estate.Leeds-based agents for the sale Henry Butcher say the site is to be sold as a whole with the guide price of £1 million.

The closing date for offers to be tendered is March 3.

A feasibility study, carried out with money from the European Regional Development Fund's Konver scheme, which targets areas where the economy has suffered from the decline in defence jobs, suggested there is demand for an industrial estate in the area.

In their report, consultants WS Atkins said: "Although there appears to be a great deal of industrial accommodation in the York and Harrogate area, there is very little accommodation available in this particular location benefiting from both access to Harrogate, York and the A1(M)."

And they estimated such an estate could provide 190 jobs.

Any proposals for the development of the site would have to be passed by the City of York Council's planning committee.

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