Highlights: 

• Site established as an Enterprize Zone in 1995 and EZ benefits ran until November 2005
• Joint Venture between Kodak and Urban Regeneration Agency (URA) and English Partnerships
• Infrastracture Costs  circa 19.6 million along with consultants fees; legals and agency costs
• Receipts circa £32 million
• Sites disposed of on 30 999 year ground leases.
• Forecast upwards of 4,500 jobs
• Created 1.2 million sq ft of space, split  366,000 sq ft offices;  306,923 industrial, 532,000 warehouse (but incorporates call centre elements also)
• Mixture of Inward Investors to the region and relocation of existing regional companies to support expansion.  
• Primary aim to attract inward investment although also used to safeguard jobs and accommodate business expansion. Enterprise Zone status gave a simplified planning process, rates relief and substantial tax allowances.
• Speculative Development :  Offices – Lakeside;  Oakwood;  Newstead Industrial – Core 27.
• Closure of Kodak plant brought additional development from 2006 and the adoption of the full length of Lake View Drive.
• Main occupiers include Rolls Royce, Pendragon, Diversey Lever. E-on,  Prolog, Previous occupiers have included Raleigh and Boots.
• The site has become a cross section of over 100 small start up business and multi national companies.

History:

Kodak were the originators of a business park at the location in the early 1990s. Planning was resisted initially but plans were agreed with sites in the Nottinghamshire coalfield being sought for Enterprise Zone status and £11m funding for infrastructure being allocated by the Urban Development Agency and English Partnerships. The site was to be a high quality development with building designs closely monitored. Landscaping was extensive with wildlife areas and a sustainable surface water drainage system comprising five ponds..

The Urban Regeneration Agency (URA), entered a joint venture agreement with Kodak in 1994 where the proceeds from the sales and costs of infrastructure and maintenance were shared 50/50. That agreement was then inherited by East Midlands Development Agency (emda) in 1999.

The final sites of the original URA/ emda element of the site were developed in 2005. The redevelopment of the Kodak site took place from 2006 onwards.

Sherwood Business Park Enterprise Zone has been an extremely successful project of industrial and office development and was a flagship project for emda.  All developable land has been sold with receipts totaling £32m, job forecasts of 4500 have probably been exceeded by some margin.

The emda exit strategy for moving away from the park involved forming a new management company made up of the head leaseholders. They would in turn appoint a managing agent to take over all of emda's remaining responsibilities with the costs recovered through a service charge. Before this could take place the complicated drainage system and road network had to be adopted and maintained at public expense to avoid the management company picking up these expensive liabilities. This took over five years with the drains adopted in 2006 and the roads being adopted in 2007.

Emda was abolished in 2011, all responsibilities transferred to the Homes and Communities Agency. The transfer to the new Sherwood Business Park Estate Limited (SBPE Ltd) was completed in 2012. The site is now run by Directors nominated by leaseholders and occupiers.

ECOLOGY INFORMATION

The Business Park, whilst a high technology enterprise zone, and set amongst ancient park and farm land, is complemented by many species of trees, plants, flowers, birds and mammals all  thriving amongst its green living lungs.

Amongst the many trees are Italian, Black and Speckled Alders; English Oak, Ash, Elm and Holly; plus 3 differing kinds of willow and Quaking aspen trees,  and many flowers of both ancient woodland and meadow carpet the undergrowth.

These include various beautiful and delicate orchids including Bee, Spotted,  Southern Marsh, and the much overlooked Twyblade, with Grass Vetchling, Greater and Lesser stitchwort twinkling in the grass like stars in the sky.  Plants of our youth –Cowslip, Meadow Sweet, Yellow Toadflax, Red and White Campion, Ragged Robin, English bluebell and Cuckoo flowers are in abundance thanks to the Green Initiatives shared between the Park Management and local environmental group ACCESS.

Whilst on the water’s edge are Marsh Marigold,  Hoary Willow Herb, Amphibious Bistort, water mint, with Mallard, Snipe, Water Hen and Coot joining in with the songs of Blue-tits, Coal tits, Jays, the occasional White Throat to name but a few of the 60+ birds which call this home.  Whilst under the surface live frogs, toads and newts with various fishes including, importantly, sticklebacks which are being researched by a  local University to understand the process of “osteoporosis” and how it may hopefully be reversed, whilst on top of the water amongst the pond skaters may glide Grass snakes.  The park and surrounding land is a very important resource for these creatures.

If you would like to know more about any of the green features of the Park – please contact Peter Olko, Chairman of ACCESS who will be pleased to answer your queries.

For full list of plants and animals as found by ACCESS and recorded by Notts Biological & Geological Records Centre click here.