Scarborough Business Park could form part of Government’s investment zone plan despite concerns about environmental impact

One of the proposed locations is Scarborough Business Park, adjacent to the A64 highway, which recently underwent a £9.6m expansion to double its size.

However, concerns have been raised about the potential environmental impact of loosening planning regulations.

According to the Government, the investment zones will be designated sites where “businesses will benefit from time-limited tax incentives and streamlined planning rules to deliver investment, create jobs and build the homes that communities need”.

Leader of North Yorkshire County Council, Cllr Carl Les, said: “We are at a very early stage in the process, but this could be an exciting and welcome initiative that would enable us to work with the Government to deliver benefits for the North Yorkshire economy.

“Following discussions with our district council colleagues, we are submitting an expression of interest. This identifies a number of sites across the county that we feel fit the criteria from Government.”

He added: “We look forward to further negotiations with the Government following our submission.”

Other proposed investment zones include sites in Hambleton, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, and Selby.

Cllr Les also said that investment zones would be focused on sites that have already been earmarked for commercial development and that NYCC is “fully aware of the need to minimise any environmental impacts”.

However, questions have been raised about the implementation of proposed “streamlined planning rules”.

Cllr Michelle Donohue-Moncrieff, Scarborough Borough Council’s cabinet member for the environment, said: “It is all very fine when you talk about getting rid of regulations, making it easier to build. That often means getting rid of the things that future-proof those buildings.”

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service in an interview about the council’s environmental plans, she added: “Part of the problem is that we seem to be running our planning in this country around what the big house builders want to do, rather than what would actually be more sustainable for society in the long run.

“And those two are not always the same thing, in my opinion.”

The number of investment zones that will be created across England has not yet been finalised.

Last week the Treasury urged the prime minister to limit the number of zones to avoid creating a “tax liability”, though this may change with the recent appointment of Jeremy Hunt as chancellor.