CONSTRUCTION is about to begin on a £120 million business park in Worcester with the promise of 5,000 new jobs if it can be filled.

Developers say work on Worcester Six is about to get underway, signalling a major economic boost for the city.

Benniman Construction Group, which is based in the county, has landed the lucrative contract to build the first two units on the sprawling 90-acre site.

The first two will measure 160,000 square foot and 45,000 sq ft respectively - the first to go up on the plot by Junction 6 of the M5.

More will then rapidly follow, with a total of 1.5 million sq ft of floorspace made available to firms in technology, manufacturing, industrial and warehouse work.

The launch of the development follows a £10 million plan to improve the roads network, which is still ongoing following the Pershore Lane upgrade.

All the utilities including gas, water and electricity have been installed by engineering firm McPhillips, which has created a tunnel under the M5 to connect it up.

The Worcester News revealed last year how Worcestershire County Council was in talks with foreign investors to take up space at the site, including China.

Insiders say interest is very high despite the grand plan suffering a blow back in 2012 when Worcester Bosch decided against expanding and making the park its main headquarters, meaning the size of the units have been tinkered slightly.

The developers behind it say work should start this month, and have pointed to it attracting "plenty of interest" despite being a speculative project.

Gerrard Ludlow, from Stoford, which secured the planning permission for the site alongside the Liberty Property Trust, said: "With the appointment of Benniman as our partner, Worcester Six is on track to start construction this month.

"As the first large-scale development in Worcester for more than 10 years, we're seeing plenty of interest in the park and are confident our speculative development won’t be on the market for long."

The Conservative leadership at County Hall says the success of it will be "essential" in taking Worcestershire closer to its ambitions for job creation and higher pay.

Cllr Ken Pollock, cabinet member for economy, skills and infrastructure, said: "The construction of Worcester Six is essential to enabling the county to achieve its economic growth ambitions."

Gary Woodman, from Worcestershire's Local Enterprise Partnership, added: "It is great to see that construction is about to begin.

"The park will have a hugely positive impact on the local economy with the creation of 5,000 high-quality jobs and well-connected space for business expansion and investment."