Carlisle's business park has said it is committed to 'driving positive change’ after missing out on a multi-million-pound factory.

Kingmoor Park in Carlisle was in the running to host the £1.3 billion Small Modular Reactors (SMR) factory, but it was announced on September 20 that South Yorkshire would be the site of the ‘game-changing’ factory.

The factory is projected to contribute approximately £1.5 billion in gross value to South Yorkshire's economy, create 3,600 jobs in construction, and create up to 400 manufacturing jobs once operational.

Despite not being chosen, Kingmoor Park remains committed to advancing sustainability in the region.

Managing director of Kingmoor Park Properties, Neil McIntyre, said: "While we are disappointed that Kingmoor Park was not chosen as the site for the Holtec SMR factory, we remain firmly focused on sustainability and future growth.

"We are excited to move forward with several innovative, eco-friendly projects that align with our vision of creating a sustainable business hub, bringing new opportunities, and driving positive change in the region," he said. 

Earlier this year, Kingmoor Park celebrated its 25th anniversary.

According to the group's website, the industrial estate is home to more than 150 businesses, employing around 2,500 people.

It was developed in 1999 by local entrepreneur Brian Scowcroft with the support of Carlisle City Council and Cumbria County Council, turning it into the business hub it is today.

Brian's emphasis on sustainability has influenced the park's evolution, particularly through collaborations with managing director Neil McIntyre, which includes the implementation of innovative projects on the park, including the ‘ModVillage’, Cumbria’s first shipping container business village, and a 13-acre solar farm that has significantly reduced the park’s carbon footprint.

It's said that the on-site solar farm produces 75 per cent of the park’s total energy needs.

Kingmoor's K2 design with DPD site Kingmoor's K2 design with DPD site (Image: Kingmoor Park Properties)

Despite the SMR setback, Kingmoor Park proceeds with the ‘K2’ project, a venture offering tailored workspaces for 21st-century industries.

It has already appealed to prominent firms like DPD, for whom a custom-built 62,800 sq.ft facility was completed in September 2023.

Reacting to the Holtec news last week, councillor Mark Fryer, the leader of Cumberland Council, said: "I am bitterly disappointed because of the amount of work by the partnership to bring Holtec to Carlisle.

"We were united in our approach with Holtec – business leaders, the local authority, and all the other parties that were involved through the Cumbria LEP.

"We haven't got Holtec but that does not stop us from having the resolve to bring others into our area to develop it."