A major land purchase in Newton Abbot to safeguard local jobs and provide future employment opportunities could be made by Teignbridge Council.

The council are being asked to approve a recommendation to acquire premises to relocate a tenant currently in Bradley Lane.

This would in turn secure an important employer in the district, enable the redevelopment of Bradley Lane to proceed and to preserve the council’s revenue income, says a report by Tony Watson for Business Lead for Economy and Regeneration.

The report adds: ‘The council have been assembling land at Bradley Lane since 2010 with a long-term ambition to realise redevelopment of the whole site. The area is currently occupied by a number of industrial tenants, with many playing a vital role in the success of Newton Abbot and providing important employment for local residents.

‘The retention where possible of these businesses through assisting with relocation or being directly involved is critically important to ensuring the ongoing provision of employment opportunities in Newton Abbot.

‘In summer 2017, the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government released a grant fund for stalled or difficult development sites. This opportunity was available to local authorities and provides capital financing in order to realise development by 2020.

‘The council have been successful in an application and in February 2018 were awarded £2.5m for Bradley Lane.

‘The purpose of this report is to consider the options available to relocate a key employer in the town to safeguard jobs for local people and future employment opportunities.’

The recommendations for delivery will be dealt with in a future report and work is ongoing to determine the most appropriate method of development.

The full recommendation for the meeting that takes place tomorrow morning is listed in part II of the report that is not made available for press and public.

A scheme to regenerate the Bradley Lane area was first identified in the Newton Abbot Town Centre Regeneration Study published in 2010. It was highlighted as one of the best town centre sites for a balanced mixed-use development with community benefits.