A COUNCIL boss has given a preliminary thumbs-up to "exciting" proposals to overhaul a business park and double its size.

Vale of White Horse District Council leader Matthew Barber suggested he would like to give the stamp of approval to Grove Business Park's final masterplan.

However some businesses are still unhappy with the way the new owners are managing the site.

Grove Business Park Ltd, which bought the park for an estimated £10m last year, wants to nurture new start-ups on the site and connect it to homes set to be built on neighbouring Grove Airfield.

Mr Barber said: "It's a pretty exciting proposal. It was more industrial before than a business park, it didn't feel very loved.

"This is much smarter and somewhere people can be proud of. You can see it starting to take shape and they are making good progress.

"It should be very good for Grove and the surrounding area and offer new jobs."

The company wants to build a road from the park into the future 2,500-home estate next to the site.

Its main plans involve building four football pitches worth of new "high quality" office space and industrial units, making up a total of 401,669sq ft of buildings on the site, and demolishing older buildings.

It also wants to add a car park for the gym and create a children's nursery and cafe, a landscaped garden and social hub to provide "much-needed break space" for workers.

A new standalone "incubator building" will offer new businesses desk and office rental on a monthly basis.

However several businesses on the site are still not happy their annual maintenance charge has been hiked by up to 40 per cent without a full explanation for what the money will be spent on.

James Greenham, managing director of medical equipment manufacturer EMS Physio, said: "I don't think they've got off to a good start.

"They've got some exciting plans but I think the way they manage and treat existing park tenants could be improved.

"I think they've probably caused a lot of anguish."

Steven Liquorish, CEO of CMS Industries, said he has refused to pay the extra charge until he is shown justification for the increase.

He said he was concerned tenants were being asked to pay for improvements to the park and that he was "disappointed" the new owners had not agreed to meet with his company to discuss the increase.

Richard Morgan, managing director of battery manufacturer ATSI, said he felt like working with the new owners was sometimes a "battle".

The park's new general manager Peter Mols said Grove Business Park Ltd had recently appointed estate agents Carter Jonas to oversee the management of the service charge and "ensure transparency in capital expenditure for the park".

He added: "I think those businesses who are unhappy at the moment will really start to see the benefit of the improvement works in the coming months."

The council is due to decide on the plans by October 5.