Executive director of Groundwork South Tyneside and Newcastle Andrew Watts, managing director of Robertson North East Andy McLeod and Coun Michael Clare, lead member for regeneration and economy at South Tyneside Council

WORK on a £5.4m centre on Tyneside which is aimed at growing small businesses in the environmental sector is now complete.

Hailed as one of the world’s greenest buildings, One Trinity Green will provide a home for 35 SMEs who will then receive help to grow their business.

The 30,000sq ft centre is split into 40 units and sits on a site in South Shields on which once stood the Circatex circuit-board factory before it shut in 2001 with the loss of 850 jobs.

The three-storey building features flexible office, workshop and hybrid units boasting state-of-the-art environmental technology, telecoms and IT facilities.

The project, which will focus on firms in the environmental and low-carbon sectors, is being led by South Tyneside Council and Groundwork South Tyneside and Newcastle.

The building, which is due to open in August, recently took the crown for this year’s greenest office development at an international awards ceremony.

Coun Michael Clare, lead member for jobs, enterprise and regeneration at South Tyneside, said: “With support services at hand to help businesses to grow, plus flexible easy-in, easy-out tenancy arrangements, One Trinity Green is the ideal launch-pad for dynamic new businesses.

“South Tyneside is fast emerging as a key hub for the low-carbon and environmental sectors, and this will help to attract skilled jobs to the borough.”