A technology firm has backed out of a development project on the edge of Royston.

Johnson Matthey, which had planned to have a storage facility as part of the Royston Gateway project on the A505, said they will opt for an existing warehouse instead.

The move was expected to create 35 jobs in Royston.

It is unclear at this stage what impact the news will have on plans to build a Waitrose at the site next to the Orchard Road industrial estate. Chris Bennett is managing director of the Emission Control Technology branch of the company, which planned to use the storage facility.

He said: “In the course of the project it became possible to revisit the idea of utilising an existing warehouse located within a reasonable distance of our facility and, fortuitously, several had become available.

“The company remains committed to the Royston site and continues to invest heavily in our production lines to ensure that we have the latest technology to meet our customers’ needs, now and in the future. We have informed the developer of the Royston Gateway of our decision.”