Wickes and Starbucks tie up Team Valley deals

UK Land Estates is developing a 25,000 sq ft store for the national DIY chain on the former Huwoods plot at the Gateshead trading estate, also adding a drive-thru coffee outlet.

Global coffeehouse company Starbucks will occupy a 1,800 sq ft unit.

The moves follow a significant investment into Kingsway North by Team Valley Trading Estate owner UKLE over recent years.

• Read Place North East’s Q&A with UK Land Estates managing director Keith Taylor

As well as the new retail outlets, the company is also set to construct three detached, grade A industrial units totalling 128,410 sq ft.

Tim Witty, development director at UK Land Estates, said: “We are delighted to be regenerating this important site at the entrance to Team Valley and look forward to bringing Wickes and Starbucks onto the estate.

“Over recent years, the development and refurbishment of numerous industrial and retail units have created hundreds of jobs for local people and the arrival of Wickes and Starbucks will further build on that success.”

The Huwoods building, for the mining machinery company of that name, was one of the buildings developed in the trading estate’s early days of the 1930s.

UKLE also plans to continue expanding Team Valley estate, which is home to more than 700 businesses, over the coming years, it said, having also submitted planning applications for three new industrial units elsewhere on the estate.

Witty added: “The three proposed industrial units are to be built speculatively and will bring new, much-needed industrial stock to the region’s commercial property market.

“As a region, we have a real shortage of prime industrial space, therefore it is vital that we continue to back developments like these which can help plug that gap and ensure we remain an attractive place to do business.

“Hopefully those plans will also find favour with the planning authorities and we’ll see spades in the ground on those developments by 2025.”