Cutting edge development

Mar 26 2008 by Iain Laing, The Journal

WORK to build offices and industrial units in a £26m development has begun on one of the North-East’s biggest business parks.

Caddick Developments is constructing 12 industrial units and two office buildings on 13 prime acres of Newburn Riverside, to form Gateway West. The site will provide 180,187sqft of new industrial space and 52,474sqft of office accommodation.

The Wetherby company is laying foundations for what will be one of the few opportunities under construction around the much-in-demand A1 corridor, west of Newcastle. The scheme is being jointly funded by CBRE Investors.

Caddick director Myles Hartley said: “Gateway West will emulate quality design and sustainability at an already well-established business park. All the buildings are designed to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating, which is effectively the industry ‘gold standard’ for sustainable development.

“Features include solar thermal hot-water heating, rainwater harvesting, high thermal insulation, energy-saving lights/heating and solar shading.

“Our aim is to create the best scheme in its class in the North-East, while still providing readily affordable accommodation for local and regional occupiers.

“The design is highly contemporary, with combinations of glass and render and high quality cladding materials, set in a fully landscaped environment. Both office blocks will be right at the gateway to the entire Riverside Park area. It will be a high impact and visually stunning landmark office development, providing access through to the high quality industrial units on the remainder of the site.”

Robert Patterson, agency and development director at Sanderson Weatherall, with joint agent GVA Lamb and Edge, is advising Caddick. He describes the scheme as “cutting edge, both in ideas and design”.

Both office buildings offer accommodation over three floors, one providing 31,095sqft of space and the other 21,375sqft. Besides 176 car parking spaces, the site will incorporate cycle facilities and a regular bus link into Newcastle, and staff will benefit from a crèche and deli-café.

James Pain, industrial specialist at Sanderson Weatherall, adds that the units will suit light industry or distribution purposes. “For rack and stack, there is something really new for the market which will appeal to both small and medium sized enterprises. Not many warehouse premises give clearance of 10 metres like Unit 1 here.”

All industrial units – ranging from 5,288sqft to 49,967sqft – have integral offices and a minimum internal eaves height of seven metres, along with electric loading doors and three-phase electricity supply.

Phased completion through Caddick Construction is expected from September with the arrival of the first industrial units to market. Available by floor or in their entirety, offices are expected to be available from spring 2009.

Patterson says that while the office blocks are not on the scale of some recently built on North Tyneside, they will be “excellent quality and at one of the best locations in the North-East.”

He added: “Gateway West is a high end green product looking for longer term sustainable businesses. Given the timing and deliverability of this project, Gateway West could be one of the few successes of its kind in new-build during 2008-9.”

Occupiers already at Newburn Riverside include regional development agency One NorthEast, Defra, North East Ambulance Trust and Northumberland and Tyneside Strategic Health Authority.