WORK on an £8 million high-tech business park in Hull is expected to start this year.

Part of The Beacon in Brighton Street, west Hull, is to be developed to create more 4,600sq metres of energy efficient grade A business units.

Targeted at businesses involved in the bioscience, environmental technology and healthcare technology sectors, the high specification units will be housed within three detached buildings, each of which will be tailored to the needs of companies within these sectors.

The £8 million scheme is being rolled out by South Cave- based developers Horncastle Group plc.

Director Ian Hodges said: "At Horncastle, we have been looking into growth sectors for some time now.

"It is our view that there is some growth in these sectors and synergies with what is currently happening in Hull and where Hull is going.

"We already have planning consent for the three buildings, so we are now in a position to deliver the scheme, when the market is ready.

"Hopefully, over the course of this year we will start on the first of the three buildings."

Mr Hodges said Horncastle had been tracking the region's renewable developments for many months, and said the recent planning application for a wind turbine factory in Alexandra Dock had been encouraging.

He said: "We have been looking at growth sectors in parallel with renewable announcements.

"Siemens confirmed its plan to build a wind turbine factory in Hull at the start of 2011, but there have been noises for some time before then.

"Last month's planning application by Siemens and Associated British Ports was another major boost."

The Brighton Street site used to house railway sidings and a Marr Foods fish processing factory, which closed in 2005.

Previously known as Merchant's Quay, the site was rebranded and renamed The Beacon in 2010.

The accommodation will include a mixture of office, light production and testing facilities all within a clean, light and energy-efficient environment.

Last month, Horncastle received a multimillion pound funding boost in the form of a £3 million grant from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The capital investment will help fund the construction of the buildings, which are located on a currently undeveloped one hectare brown field site.

The remaining £5 million- plus needed to progress the scheme will come from Horncastle.

Mr Hodges said: "I have been working on this ERDF application for close to 18 months, so it has taken a fairly long period of time to get approval.

"From our point of view, the ERDF money was quite useful, but the rest of the money, which will probably be in excess of £5 million, will come from Horncastle."

Estimates suggest about 200 new jobs in the bioscience, environmental technology and healthcare technology sectors will be accommodated at the site.