A DETAILED development brief for a key employment site has been approved by councillors.

A report presented to South Lakeland District Council’s (SLDC) Cabinet meeting said the site at Scroggs Wood, on the outskirts of Kendal, aims to provide ‘high quality, innovative and prestigious’ employment development.

The brief aims to ensure any development at Scroggs Wood will promote high standards of energy efficiency and sustainable techniques in building design, and includes significant landscaping and green areas to protect the natural environment.

The Cabinet meeting heard reassurances, in response to concerns raised by Cllr Sylvia Emmott, that large-scale storage units or a distribution depot on the site would be “totally incompatible’’ with the brief.

The adoption of the development brief for Scroggs Wood by Cabinet follows two separate six-week public consultations, during which people were invited to have their say on the design and layout requirements for development on the site.

The development brief for Scroggs Wood is one of eight being developed across the district to guide issues such as design, layout, access and green space provision.

Once adopted the development briefs become supplementary planning documents and will inform developers about the constraints and opportunities presented by a site, and the type of development that would be expected or encouraged by the planning authority.

Scroggs Wood is the second of the development briefs to be formally adopted by the council, after the development brief for housing land at Cross-a-Moor, Swarthmoor, was approved in November last year.

Cllr Graham Vincent, SLDC’s portfolio holder for Health and Wellbeing, proposed the recommendation that the Scroggs Wood development brief be adopted.

“This is a key new employment site and will contribute towards our target to create 1,000 new higher paid jobs in the district by 2025,” he said.

Cllr Giles Archibald, portfolio holder for Town Centres and Small Business, added: “We are a pro-business council and we are about supporting new business.

“This is a very important site and will bring hundreds of new jobs to the area.’’