Scarborough Group International is developing the 200 acre site in a joint venture with Legal & General.

GMI has been confirmed as strategic construction partner for the latest phase under a contract understood to be worth more than £100m.

GMI is now working on ground preparation and is in the process of extracting 200,000 tonnes of coal from the site.

By 2017 the developers plan to deliver several key phases at Thorpe Park Leeds, including a new 250,000 sq ft retail and leisure complex, up to 60,000 sq ft of high quality office accommodation, the first phase of 300 new homes, and a 113 acre public park with sports facilities.

A recent planning decision was made for the first 60,000 sq ft of offices, at least half of which Scarborough intends to develop speculatively later this year ready for occupation by summer 2016.

In January this year Leeds City Council also approved plans for 300 new homes on the site.

Development now under way includes the first phase of the critical East Leeds Orbital Road that will connect the M1 to north-east Leeds.