A complex, 18 months demolition and excavation programme to clear and prepare more than 175 acres of brownfield land for 1.3m sq ft of development at the former Alcan aluminium plant has been completed with owners, Harworth Group, announcing plans to start the next phase of ground engineering work.
Lynefield Park, a multi-million pound industrial site at Lynemouth, Northumberland, is one of the largest brownfield regeneration projects in the North East and its redevelopment is being seen as the masterplan for growth in an area where the closure of traditional manufacturing and coal mining industries has had a significant impact on the local economy and surrounding communities.
Demolition work carried out so far has included the safe removal of the pot rooms, associated buildings and extensive ground clearance where the smelter plant’s former iconic chimneys once stood. This month also marks six years since production at Alcan ceased and almost three years since Harworth Group purchased the site.
Harworth Group, one of the UK’s leading land regeneration and property development organisations, has worked closely with its ten existing tenants to ensure minimal disruption and provide new opportunities for growth and employment creation. The company now plans to start a phased, four-stage ground engineering and earth moving programme to prepare over 40 acres of land for the approved development using 400,000m³ of inert engineered fill.
Eddie Peat, Director North East & Corporate Development commented, “Given the size, scale and nature of the site, this has been a complex operation but now demolition is complete, we’re looking to enter the next phase of engineering work soon. Our aim is to generate growth, attract new investment and encourage large organisations to the North East and Lynefield Park could be a real catalyst for the region, its economy and the wider business community.
“This next stage will start Summer 2018 and will allow land to be prepared, filled and released for development in a phased approach, especially in relation to bespoke-build units. We expect engineering works for individual areas to be carried out over a 12 months period.
“Whilst we have a number of existing B1, B2 and B8 industrial units currently available and ranging from 9,000 to 40,000 sq ft, planning permission also allows us to accommodate future units of up to 500,000 sq ft on a freehold or design and build basis and we’re currently working closely with a number of organisations interested in the site and the North East.”
Harworth Group has a long and successful track record transforming sites like Lynefield Park into strategic business zones and sustainable places to live. Its flagship Advanced Manufacturing Park at Waverley, Rotherham is an example of such a transformation having attracted leading commercial occupiers such as Rolls Royce, Boeing and McLaren Automotive as well as national homebuilders.
Lynefield Park is home to existing tenants including H-Mix, Cook & Turnbull, Lynx Precast, NB Clark and Harmison Fitness and has world-class companies such as AkzoNobel within a few miles of the site. Close to main road, rail and sea transport links, it has planning permission for four industrial zones.
Eddie added, “Lynefield Park could become a key strategic site for organisations looking at the North East to invest and expand current operations, or provide the ideal location to compliment nearby companies as part of a regional supply chain. We are working very closely with key stakeholders including Northumberland County Council and the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) to attract new interest and appeal to a wide range of industries. The planning permission allows us to offer huge development potential in phases along with the opportunity of job creation to stimulate further investment.”
