Money is to be pumped into the former RAF Coltishall base to make the newly-named Scottow Enterprise Park more attractive to businesses.

Norfolk County Council bought the former airbase for £4m last year, saying it would create jobs and generate money for the council.

Plans are in the pipeline for a huge solar farm, while Little Melton-based Vitromite, which takes reprocessed glass and turns it into building components, has permission for a factory in one of the hangars,

But council bosses said investing £6.6m into the base would help it fulfil its potential and councillors today agreed to make phased investment to get unoccupied buildings fit for commercial futures.

The council's economic development sub-committee agreed that money raised from sale of part of the land for homes, plus prudential borrowing, should be used to make those buildings an attractive proposition for companies.

Martin Wilby, Conservative councillor for East Depwade, said: 'I think it is time to be bold and ambitious and send a clear message out that we are open for business.'

Council officers said 66pc of the available floorspace at the former air base is now taken or under offer and in 2015/16, the base will start to generate revenue for the council.

The council says there are currently 25 jobs based at Coltishall, but that up to 675 could be created.

The committee also agreed to stop referring to the site as the former RAF Coltishall base, but to brand it as Scottow Enterprise Park.

That is a recognition that the bulk of the former base is in the parish of Scottow, not the parish of Coltishall.

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