Midlands Property Jon Robinson

Official plans for a £80m space park in Leicester which could create 2,500 jobs and boost the regional economy by £715m have been published.

The University of Leicester is working with Leicester City Council, Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership and the National Space Centre on the bid for the 9.3-acre site.

According to the documents, which were published for the first time on Tuesday, Leicester Space Park's first phase will include a part four, part five-storey building to provide 46,801 sq ft of research and business space.

Expected to be complete by summer 2020 if planning approval is granted, it will be used by the Leicester Institute for Space and Earth Observation as well as businesses and will consolidate the university’s Earth Observation capability in one location.

It is anticipated that 150 businesses will be active participants within the first five years.

Phase two, earmarked for completion by 2022, will join onto the northern face of phase one to create a single building.

The third phase would a standalone facility known as 'LoCAS' – Low Cost Access to Space – and would be ready by 2032.

In total, the last two phases will consist of up to 215,278 sq ft of space.

The park will carry out research in space and earth observation, provide training for the space scientists of the future and contribute to growth in the national space economy.

The development will be located on the site of the former John Ellis School on Leicester’s Waterside next to the historic Abbey Pumping Station and the National Space Centre The school closed in 1999 and was demolished in 2006.

The initial works will be funded through a £13m grant from the Local Growth Fund via the Leicester and Leicestershire Local Enterprise Park and up to £13m from the university.

A total of 335 new car parking spaces will also be created.

A document submitted to the council on behalf of the university said: "The development will be a flagship regional facility that will be critical to the UK's national space infrastructure, building upon the existing space-related research and innovation uses already present within the surrounding area, known as Pioneer Park.

"Space Park Leicester is intended to be a world-leading hub for space and space-enabled industry and will be a globally leading centre for the translation of space research and earth observation data into commercial applications and services for businesses, researchers and academic.

"It will build on the University of Leicester's international reputation for space science.

"From developing satellite technologies to enabling the detailed analysis of space-enabled data, Space Park Leicester will help transform and launch sectors such as internal communications, resource management, environmental monitoring and disaster relief.

Prof Martin Barstow, University of Leicester pro-vice chancellor for strategic science projects, said: "The submission of this planning application is a significant step forward in our ambition to develop a regional and global hub to help drive the UK space economy.

"We’ve been delighted by the reaction to the plans since we unveiled our initial proposals earlier this year. We are committed to working closely with our partners and stakeholders from across the city to put Leicester at the centre of space-related research, innovation and skills development.”

Grant Bourhill, chief executive of Leicester Science Parks, added: "The UK space sector is booming.

"With a value of £14.2bn and productivity three times the national average, the sector has huge potential for growth.

"This first step towards Space Park Leicester is tremendously exciting. Building on our 50 year track record of having a Leicester-built instrument in orbit, we are creating a world-leading space facility, confirming Leicester’s international reputation as a leading 'Space City.'

"The Space Park will drive economic growth and attract and retain skilled workers, helping us deliver against national, regional and local strategies."

Subject to planning consent, construction will start on phase one in the early part of 2019 and will be completed by mid-2020.