Prestigious park aims for clean and green standard

Jun 18 2008 by Iain Laing, The Journal

A GREEN and sustainable multi-business development is on course to open on time at one of the North East’s biggest and most prestigious business parks.

Twelve industrial units and two contemporary office buildings, designed to achieve gold standard in sustainable development, are now clearly seen taking shape to form Gateway West on 13 prime acres of Newburn Riverside in Newcastle.

On completion, the visually prominent £30m development will provide 180,187sq ft of new industrial space and 52,474sq ft for offices. Already, despite the credit crunch in the general economy, a high level of interest by potential occupiers, national and local, is reported.

Margaret Fay, chairman of regional development agency One NorthEast – which has a key role in supporting Gateway West and the entire development of Newburn Riverside – was shown progress by top executives of Caddick Group, both developer and builder of Gateway West. She said: “Newburn Riverside is a premier business park, ideally situated with excellent transport links north and south via the A1, as well as into Newcastle and Newcastle International Airport.

“This exciting new phase of the development will encompass quality office and industrial space that will appeal to leading businesses keen to take advantage of excellent infrastructure and high-specification development.”

Paul Caddick, chairman of Caddick Group, said: “The project is on schedule for its 72-week completion. The first industrial unit will be ready by October, the first office space by next May.

“We have developed in various parts of the North East. This is one of our highest quality and biggest schemes anywhere. We see it as a platform from which to bid for further work in this region.”

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

Myles Hartley, a director of Caddick Developments, said: “The development is designed to achieve a BREEAM Excellent rating – effectively the industry gold standard for sustainable development. We are bringing about the best scheme in its class in the North East and providing readily-affordable accommodation for local and regional occupiers.

“Green and sustainable offers lower running costs and higher efficiencies. Businesses are becoming increasingly aware of this.”

The scheme, jointly funded by CBRE Investors, is one of the few opportunities under construction around the much-in-demand A1 corridor west of Newcastle, according to Robert Patterson, agency and development director at Sanderson Weatherall which, with joint agent Lamb and Edge, is advising Caddick Developments.

He said: “We are finding even in these financially cautious times high-level interest from potential occupiers, and are in discussions with a number of local and national parties.”

The office buildings offer space over three floors – one with 31,095sq ft, the other 21,375sq ft – and will be available by floor or in entirety. All the units, of 5,288sq ft to 49,967sq ft, have integral offices and a minimum internal eaves height of seven metres.

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

Caddick Group, of Wetherby, West Yorkshire, develops throughout Britain, particularly in the North. Robinson Design Group of Shipley are the architects of Gateway West.

This is one of our highest quality and biggest schemes anywhere. We see it as a platform