Developer completes work on city retail endeavour

A commercial property developer has completed a city retail scheme.

UK Land Estates has created a multi-unit hub on an ex-Sunderland factory site.

The Pennywell Industrial Estate base includes Greggs and Starbucks drive-thrus alongside larger Wickes, Aldi and KFC outlets.

The venture stands on the footprint of the Wearside city’s former Dewhirst factory.

A household name in clothes making across the 20th century, the company employed hundreds of people at its peak before its Leechmere site closed in 2002 and its Pennywell factory stopped production a year later.

The site stood largely vacant until UK Land Estates was granted planning permission to transform the area in 2022.

Tim Witty, UK Land Estates’ development director, said: “We’ve seen a real surge in demand for well-connected, out-of-town retail parks over recent years.

“As soon as we were granted planning permission, we were inundated with queries from parties looking to capitalise on the site’s prime location.

“In Wickes, KFC, Aldi, Starbucks and Greggs, we have been able to attract national and global brands to the site, creating dozens of jobs while providing a major lift to the city’s economy.

“It’s fantastic to see it completed and bearing fruit.”

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