Member Article

New £4m investment sparks Durham Future Business Park expansion

Work has started on the expansion of a County Durham business park, as owners The CreateCity Group begin additional investment of at least £4m in the site.

The Future Business Park, in Shildon, has already seen £5m of investment from owners CreateCity. The new investment, which follows planning consent from Durham County Council, will take the site to around half a million square feet of warehousing, logistics, office and retail space.

Ground has been broken on the first phase of the latest work, which involves an 40,000 sq ft of space, comprising four multi-purpose industrial units. North Yorkshire-based Randall Orchard Construction Ltd has been appointed to lead the project.

The first four units are scheduled for completion in the Autumn.

The CreateCity Group, which includes Frank’s the Flooring Store, last year invested in major landscaping of the site to create an increasingly attractive place of work for those employed there. The investment also improves the aesthetics of the Southern gateway to Shildon.

CreateCity worked with two local companies Cre8ive Graphics and Wilkinsons Landscapes on the signage and refurbishment of the site, which was rebranded in a project involving Sunnydale Community College for Maths and Computing, and Business Durham.

David Stubbs of The CreateCity Group said: “This is the start of an exciting new phase in the life of the Future Business Park. The CreateCity Group is committed to investment in Shildon, with £5 million of enhancements completed and in excess of £4 million more to come, including these four new units.

“This is an important site for Shildon, and we are grateful for the support not only of Durham County Council and Business Durham, but also local politicians here in Shildon and partners including the North East Chamber of Commerce.”

Graeme Newton, Managing Director of Randall Orchard Construction, said: “We are very happy to be involved in the development of this important site for Shildon, as the CreateCity Group invests in the area’s future.”