More than 150 acres of reclaimed brownfield land that was once one of the largest coal despatch sites in the North East has the potential to become a key strategic industrial zone and contribute millions to the regional economy, according to property development company, Harworth Group.
Previously used as a coal stock yard for UK Coal, the site at Wardley, South Tyneside, is within a zoned area associated with the proposed International Advanced Manufacturing Park (IAMP) which spans land in Sunderland and South Tyneside. A planning application for phase one of IAMP has recently been approved.
Harworth’s Wardley site could, say the company, extend IAMP’s reach even further in terms of providing a key logistical base for organisations operating within the automotive and manufacturing supply chain or providing services to the likes of Nissan.
The land has planning permission for rail connected uses including container storage and mineral stocking and consent for a renewable energy plant. It is home to existing tenants including Costain and Container Sales UK.
It offers direct access to main transport links including the A1 and A19 and is currently being used to store circa 90,000m3 of construction materials transported daily from the new road infrastructure network at Silverlink, North Tyneside. This is intended to be used for future improvements to Testos roundabout near Boldon.
Additionally, and uniquely in comparison to other potential regeneration sites in the North East, Wardley also boasts its own rail connection, namely The Leamside Line, providing direct access to the Port of Sunderland to the south and the Port of Tyne to the north. The line has, more recently, been the subject of discussion to reopen the track, and this for potential investors and manufacturing organisations looking for a strategic site, could be significant.
Eddie Peat, Director North East and Corporate for Harworth Group explained, “Wardley is unique in terms of location, development potential and transport links and with world-leading manufacturers on our doorstep, our regeneration plans certainly have to engage that. IAMP could attract over £400m of private inward investment and create up to 5,000 new jobs for the North East so our site could become a major area of employment within a larger, nationally-recognised scheme. Our aim now is to secure a large organisation for the site, possibly through expansion or relocation in light of the IAMP proposals, who may wish to build new and substantial, bespoke premises for long-term growth and this could also play an enabling role in reopening the Leamside Line to the ports.
“The key to brownfield developments of this nature is realising their full potential whilst identifying the right time strategically to bring plans forward for long-term sustainability. For sites like Wardley, and similarly, Harworth’s development at Lynefield Park in Northumberland, creating a vision that enables long-term growth, benefits the regional economy and encourages job creation in line with market conditions and a demand for industrial space, is crucial for any area and its community.”
As one of the UK’s leading regeneration companies, Harworth has a successful track record transforming sites like Wardley and Lynefield Park into strategic business zones. Lynefield Park at Lynemouth, Northumberland, is the former Alcan aluminium smelter site and currently one of the largest brownfield projects in the North East with planning permission for 1.3m sq ft of development. It is being seen as the masterplan for growth in an area where the closure of traditional manufacturing and coal mining industries has had a significant impact on the local economy and surrounding communities.
Furthermore, Harworth’s flagship Advanced Manufacturing Park at Waverley, Rotherham, a former colliery site, has attracted leading commercial occupiers following redevelopment such as Rolls Royce, Boeing and McLaren Automotive as well as national homebuilders.
However, one of the many challenges facing the industry as a whole is a rise in construction costs across the board meaning that in certain areas and for many companies, schemes may be temporarily delayed, put on hold or even shelved. This is partly due to a lack of available labour, developments being constructed on a speculative basis without anchor tenants being secured beforehand or a real lack of demand for commercial space in those locations.
Furthermore, Harworth works alongside existing commercial tenants to enable growth in terms of expansion and new employment opportunities. Lynx Precast, a UK manufacturer and installer of precast concrete flooring systems based at Lynefield Park, has, through new investment opportunities and increased accommodation, seen staff numbers rise by a staggering 800% from six employees in 2014 to 48 in 2018.
Eddie commented, “For regeneration organisations like Harworth here in the North East, new developments are very much dependent upon attracting inward investment rather than speculative build, to deliver long-term growth and sustainability. Regeneration of former industrial sites can deliver better social and economic benefits as Waverley has proved, however this approach requires patience, a strategic vision and a level of confidence in those specific areas. It also requires the full backing of key regional stakeholders and cooperation from both the private and public sector and through experience, we place a great deal of time and effort working closely with those stakeholders and the local community.
“The redevelopment of large, former brownfield sites following the decline of past industries often requires land to be brought forward to the market as efficiently as possible, however for sites like Wardley and Lynefield Park, timing has also been essential. Harworth is committed to the North East and we can aid the transformation of such areas, their growth potential and their communities for generations to come.”
