New Hartlepool office and production units could create 50 new jobs.
04 October 2016
Up to 50 new jobs could be created in Hartlepool, with the release of two new office buildings with production areas, for sale or rent, at Rivergreen Business Centre in the Queens Meadow Enterprise Zone to the south of the town centre.
Teesside independent commercial property consultants Dodds Brown LLP has been appointed to market more than 11,000 sq ft of modern, high specification office and production or storage space in units 1B and 3A at Rivergreen Business Centre, Queens Meadow, Hartlepool, TS25 2DL.
Constructed to the BREEAM Excellent standard, the buildings are designed to suit a variety of businesses which require high quality office space with a significant research, development, manufacturing or storage element. Thanks to its Enterprise Zone status, qualifying tenants can receive up to 100% rate rebates for five years, plus capital grants and additional practical help and advice from Hartlepool Borough Council.
Current tenants include award-winning medical diagnostic specialist Hart Biologicals, rapid tooling and plastic injection moulding manufacturer Omega Plastics, Dutch-owned Applus RTD which provides non-destructive testing (NDT) services to the oil and gas and nuclear industries, and LabShop which manufactures, assembles and distributes laboratory consumables.
Developer Durham-based Rivergreen Developments has helped each of these companies to grow. “We treat our tenants as clients and have a supportive relationship,” explains managing director Peter Candler. “We are very flexible when it comes to making changes to buildings to meet their business needs, and we are very proud of our tenants’ success. For example Hart Biologicals has more than tripled its workforce and started working in close partnership with a German company since they first moved to Rivergreen Business Centre.”
Queens Meadow Business Park is a 57 hectare (140 acres) business park situated two miles to the south west of Hartlepool town centre, which is easily accessible from the A19 along the A689 dual carriageway.
In addition to Rivergreen Business Centre, the first phase of development includes UK Steel’s recently completed Innovation Centre, which provides a mixture of small office and production units, and a number of light industrial units built by the Homes and Communities Agency.
Letting agent Richard Brown, partner at Dodds Brown, says: “Units 1B and 3A offer some of the highest quality office accommodation with a production area anywhere in the North East, providing very flexible space for companies which require research and development, laboratory, testing or small production facilities alongside offices.
“Rivergreen Business Centre already has a core of very successful, specialised businesses in an accessible location which can draw from a highly skilled workforce. In addition to a supportive developer, Hartlepool Council is also very keen to talk to prospective tenants to see how it can help them move into the development.”
Unit 1B Rivergreen Business Centre has a 2,129 sq ft production area with 2,295 sq ft of office space, while Unit 3A has 3,185 sq ft of production space with 3,441 sq ft of offices. Further information about Units 1B and 3A is available from Richard Brown at Dodds Brown on tel. 01642 244130, email. richard.brown@doddsbrown.co.uk or via the firm’s website www.doddsbrown.co.uk.
Qualifying business which can receive help through the Enterprise Zone from Hartlepool Borough Council include those in the Advanced Engineering, Advanced Manufacturing, Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology, and Renewable Energy Manufacturing sectors. Further information about qualifying criteria is available from Hartlepool Borough Council’s Economic Development Team on tel. 01429 523503.