Advance Northumberland launches 525,000 sq ft Ashwood Business Park extension
The development arm of the council is hoping the masterplan for the next phase of expansion will generate up to £86m of investment.
Already home to occupiers such as coatings company AkzoNobel – the factory is the most technologically and sustainably advanced paint production plant in Europe – housing association Bernicia Homes, and Contec, a manufacturer of contamination control products, the new masterplan is looking to build out one of the region’s key employment sites and support a further 1,000 jobs.
Located within south east Northumberland and close to Ashington, the business park has access to Newcastle International Airport and the Port of Blyth.
The masterplan has been designed to accommodate advanced manufacturing, clean energy supply chains, logistics, and technology-led industries, within a flexible framework.
The aim is to continue to attract national and international investors to the site, which is close to major projects such as Blackstone’s 6m sq ft data campus on the former Blyth Power Station site at Northumberland Energy Park, which is also home to the North Sea Link Interconnector, linking the electricity systems of the UK and Norway, and JDR Cable Systems new offshore cable manufacturing facility.
Northumberland Energy Park is also owned by Advance Northumberland.
Steven Harrison, chief executive of Advance Northumberland said: “Ashwood Business Park is a strategically important asset for Northumberland, and this new masterplan provides a clear and confident vision for its future.
“It offers the certainty investors require, the flexibility the market demands, and the quality businesses expect from a modern employment location.
This is a significant step forward in unlocking new jobs, attracting inward investment, and supporting long-term economic growth for Ashington and the wider region.”
