Shipyard scheme sails on with £1.95 million support

A developer has secured £1.95 million backing to kickstart a 400-plus home shipyard regeneration scheme.

Hebburn Riverside Development is set to build nine three-storey properties at Kelly’s Wharf.

Bosses say the South Tyneside venture will “catalyse a much larger vision” that includes consent for more than 440 homes on the former Hawthorn Leslie site in Hebburn.

The first phase of a wider blueprint – which also features a day nursery, shops and a restored jetty – has been supported by an 18-month facility from investment firm Develop North.

Overseen by Gateshead-based contractor Oakley Homes, officials say the nine properties will include four double bedrooms, a first-floor lounge with riverside balcony, air source water heating, solar panels and electric vehicle charging points.

They add the development will also celebrate the vessels built at the yard, including HMS Kelly, which was commanded by King Charles’ great-uncle Lord Louis Mountbatten during the Second World War.

Michelle Percy, chief executive at Newcastle-based Develop North, said: “Kelly’s Wharf combines the regeneration of an important brownfield site with high-quality new homes, investment into the regional economy and the creation of a lasting legacy for the local community.

“Backing experienced regional developers with a proven track record of delivering complex regeneration projects is central to our investment strategy.

“This is about far more than funding the construction of the first nine homes; it is enabling the wider transformation of one of the North East’s most significant historic riverside sites.”

Barry Holmes, co-director at Hebburn Riverside Development, added: “Develop North’s support has enabled us to move confidently into construction.

“This investment unlocks the wider regeneration of an iconic riverside site that has stood dormant for decades.”

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