New offices at a business park on the outskirts of York are proving so popular with owner-occupiers and investors that the planning application for the next phase of its development is being increased four-fold. High demand for office space at the Monks Cross North business park on the York outer ring road has resulted in developers, the Monks Cross Partnership, submitting an increased planning application for Sigma - the next phase of the 40-acre business park. Richard Peak, director of property investment company The Helmsley Group and spokesperson for the Monks Cross Partnership, says: "We have increased our original application for the Sigma scheme from 8,000 sq ft to 35,000 sq ft. The construction of Omega prompted a high level of interest for the Sigma scheme, which will comprise five or six individual offices within four separate buildings. We have therefore decided to apply for planning permission for the full 35,000 sq ft - all four buildings - rather than 8,000 sq ft, which would have been just one building. "This is great news for York, an increasingly popular place for business, and a thumbs-up to high quality out-of-town business parks, which are a good alternative to city centre office accommodation. Monks Cross North is a fast-growing business park with good amenities on its doorstep and excellent transport links and it is this combination that is attracting potential occupiers and commercial buy-to-let investors." The o7 million office development will be located next to the existing Norwich Union Life offices and in front of the newly built Omega scheme of four offices, which were all sold prior to the offices being constructed - one of which is the new premises of The Helmsley Group. Richard Peak adds: "The internal layout of the Sigma scheme has not yet been fully decided, which means that there is the opportunity for potential occupiers to have an input into the design of the offices and have their specific requirements met. "Also, for those businesses with an immediate requirement for office space there is between 2,500 sq ft and 22,500 sq ft of available space within the o9 million Alpha development, which is complete and already home to IT firm Trustmarque Solutions, GirlGuiding UK and Scarborough Property Group." The planning application for Sigma will be submitted later this month and work should start on site before the end of the year.