Completion for Integra 61 industrial

Five units totalling a combined 640,000 sq ft are ready for occupation at Citrus Group’s £400m County Durham mixed-use development.

Labelled Connect, the units comprise the largest speculatively built industrial scheme in the region for a decade, the developer said.

The 205-acre Integra 61 site is located at Junction 61 of the A1(M).

The Connect scheme includes a 298,000 sq ft standalone high bay 15m warehouse unit, Connect 298, filling a crucial void in the historically low supply pipeline.

A further four units of industrial/warehouse accommodation, ranging from 43,000 to 152,000 sq ft, sit alongside Connect 298 on an adjacent plot centrally located at the Integra 61 scheme.

Sunrise Real Estate agreed a forward-funding deal with Citrus in 2022 for the delivery of the units and GMI Construction was appointed as contractor. Appointed agents Avison Young, CBRE and Colliers are marketing the new units to potential occupiers.

The wider Integra 61 mixed-use development is consented for more than 3m sq ft of employment space in units from 1,200 sq ft upwards in addition to 260 homes, a hotel, nursery, drive-thru restaurants, vehicle dealerships and trade counter/retail units.

Integra 61 is already home to a 2m sq ft Amazon fulfilment centre, while KFC will be the next roadside opening, following Greggs and Costa.

Bellway’s 91-unit housing development, Clarence Gate, is also now under way, adding to the largely completed first phase of 170 houses by Persimmon, known as Millbeck Grange.

Connect 298 is the largest of the sheds. Credit: via Space PR

David Cullingford, project lead for Integra 61 and Citrus, said: “To have delivered 640,000 sq ft of brand new high quality industrial accommodation to a market witnessing critical voids and where supply levels are struggling to be met is fantastic news and further demonstrates why Integra 61 has become a flagship project for the region.

“The North East industrial market is in good shape with pent up demand and as such, the Connect scheme will play a vital role in creating more jobs and investment by attracting both new occupiers and assisting those already in the region to upgrade their space.”

Matthew Stevens, head of development at Sunrise Real Estate, added: “We are pleased to see the Connect scheme come together to deliver exceptional quality at a range of sizes to meet the needs of local and international businesses. The five units benefit from a skilled local labour pool and high levels of regional public investment and are set to bring meaningful job creation to the North East.”

“The community engagement undertaken by the project team has been excellent, providing a range of apprenticeships and workshops upskilling over 100 young members of the community. We’re very proud of the social and economic impact delivered by the project overall, benefiting businesses and people alike.”