A VACANT commercial site in Thirsk will be brought back to life after being acquired by a Yorkshire-based property company.

The site of the former Austin Reed head office on Station Road has been acquired by Bramham-based company In-site Property Solutions Limited and is likely to be developed for both housing and commercial use.

The site, which covers around ten acres, has been vacant since the clothing chain folded in April last year, with the loss of around 40 jobs in Thirsk and 1,000 nationwide.

In-site Property Solutions now intend to make the land available for a variety of uses, subject to planning permissions.

Although Hambleton District Council has identified the site for residential development, In-site are keen to retain at least 50,000 sq ft of existing modern high bay warehousing which will safeguard an employment element on the site.

The company’s managing director Alex Boyle said: “Having recently sold some former industrial land to a residential developer, this site provides us with a great balance of potential residential / alternate use land.”

Hambleton District Council leader Mark Robson said: “Whether it is going to be industrial or whatever use it might be we would welcome some form of activity because it isn’t good to see a site so derelict.”