The owners of the Wolf Business Park in Ross-on-Wye have said that they are desperate to secure the required funding in order to redevelop the business park and secure its future. They say the capital receipt from selling part of the land to Lidl for a new food store is the only way they will be able to make the business park viable.

The Wolf Family, which owns the Business Park, has said that the existing buildings are old and not fit for purpose in terms of modern employment requirements. The buildings also contain significant areas of asbestos that makes refurbishment unviable due to the costs associated with this type of work. As a result, successive attempts to sign up new businesses wishing to operate in Ross have been unsuccessful.

Existing tenants of the estate are also relocating to more suitable premises.

R.A.G.S furniture, Wolf Business Park’s largest employer, has recently announced that it is moving most of its operations from the area due to the current facilities’ condition and the lack of suitable alternatives within the town. A spokesperson from R.A.G.S confirmed:

“R.A.G.S’ relocation is a planned move that we have been working on for the past 18 months, due to our need for suitable new premises. This move has been agreed irrespective and in advance of the proposals to redevelop Wolf Business Park, so actually the proposals for the site and a new Lidl are a positive for local jobs.”

The Wolf Family, which owns the Business Park, has said that it will use the funds from the sale of part of the estate to Lidl to pay for the development of a new modern business park on the remainder of the site.

However there are concerns that Herefordshire County Council will refuse the Lidl application due to perceived issues including the loss of employment space in the town, and the prospect of Lidl’s store harming the town centre trade.

On behalf of the Wolf Family, Andrea Wolf said: “This is a really difficult situation for us. Without this investment from Lidl, we can’t see a future for the Wolf Business Park. Tenants are leaving, and we can’t find new ones because of the state of the buildings. We’ve been looking for answers for years and, put simply, we can’t afford to carry out the required work to make this site viable.”

She went on to say: “We appreciate that the Council has concerns about changing the use of part of our Business Park and the perceived loss of employment land as a result, however Lidl’s store alone will bring up to 40 well paid permanent jobs. Without investing in new facilities, I can foresee all our tenants leaving, taking the jobs with them, and little prospect of attracting new ones.

“When R.A.G.S leaves, we’ll be nearly two thirds vacant and if we don’t do something soon, I am sure this will increase.”

The Wolf Family has said that they are keen to work with the Council, and existing tenants to find a solution that works for everyone. A joint statement signed by Lidl and the Wolf Business Park, which sets out how existing tenants will be relocated without having to cease trading, has been submitted to Herefordshire Council.

Plans for the new business park, with the Lidl store included are currently being considered by Herefordshire County Council. Anyone wishing to find out more information or comment on the application should visit www.herefordshire.gov.uk. The application number is P182387/O.