Jade Business Park expansion gets the nod

Developer Buckinghamshire Properties can proceed with phase two of the County Durham site, comprising three industrial units measuring a total of 220,000 sq ft.

Located off the A19 and close to Murton, South Hetton, and Hawthorn, the units in phase two will vary in size from 50,000 sq ft to 90,000 sq ft.

Phase one of the park is complete and comprises 155,000 sq ft split over seven units, with six of the seven occupied and a lease agreement in motion for the final property.

Phase three of the park, which is still in the planning stages, will consist of a single unit of 255,000 sq ft.

The project team includes architect Frank Shaw, DPP Planning, and Cundall. Lettings are being handled through CBRE and HTA Real Estate.

Last October, when plans for this phase were submitted, Reform-led Durham County Council scaled back its funding for the project as part of £21m of cuts made to its capital programme.

The council had funded phase one of the site but said it always envisaged more private sector funding to support future phases. The roughly £2.6m outlined for enabling works for this part of the scheme was funded via corporate borrowing.

At the time, the council said that alternative funding streams will continue to be assessed, reducing the need for council borrowing.

The former 14-acre colliery site is next to Dalton Park and is primarily rough grassland bounded by farmland, woodland, and phase one of the park.