Brims Construction, a North East firm, has been chosen as the preferred building contractor to develop the former Maynard’s factory in Newcastle’s Lower Ouseburn Valley, providing approximately 1,400m² of workspace in 25 new units of semi-managed office space. The company will be on site in a matter of weeks, with building work due to take approximately 12 months.
1NG, NewcastleGateshead’s city development company, has worked on behalf of Newcastle City Council and One North East to bring forward the area’s regeneration programme, focusing on the delivery of Newcastle City Council’s ambitious plans for Ouseburn.
Jim McIntyre, 1NG CEO, said: “This exciting development builds on the great progress already made by Newcastle City Council to date on the site, including major milestones such as the Ouseburn Barrage development. The fact that a building contractor will shortly be on site is really positive news in the current economic climate.
“Brims is a well-recognised name in the North East construction industry having worked on some of the region’s largest and most prestigious projects and we are delighted to be working with them.
“The imminent building activity, kick starts a whole wider development of Ouseburn, which will ultimately see it provide a genuine mix of office, residential and leisure uses to capitalise on its already well-established hub of digital and creative activity.”
David Cramond, director of capital development at One North East, said: “The Toffee Factory will be a major addition to the cluster of creative businesses that are already making the Ouseburn Valley a unique investment location and one of the region’s and UK’s most significant cultural clusters.”
Councillor David Faulkner, leader of Newcastle City Council, said: “The redevelopment of the toffee factory clearly demonstrates how hard the council is working to support local businesses, facilitate investment and strengthen the regional economy in the creative industries - a sector for which the city is internationally renowned.
“This is an important announcement consistent with the 1PLAN agenda which is driving forward NewcastleGateshead’s knowledge economy and will improve competitiveness and help job creation.”
The Toffee Factory project will provide focus for the knowledge economy, which is a key strategic priority of the 1PLAN, NewcastleGateshead’s economic and spatial strategy.
The scheme has the potential to create 12 new businesses and 47 new jobs, as well as safeguarding 111 jobs and remediating a major brownfield site in a key strategic location.
The project is part financed by the European Union’s ERDF Competitiveness Programme 2007-13, securing £3m ERDF investment. One North East is investing £2.75m in the scheme, with a further £250,000 support from Newcastle City Council.
Picture: From left, Richard Wood from Brims Construction, Cllr David Faulkner, leader of Newcastle City Council, Lord Charles Falconer, 1NG Chair and David Cramond, One North East
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