Arlington Real Estate & Homes England in Joint Venture have unveiled plans to create up to one million square feet of light industrial and commercial space in Northumberland, which will support the North East Combined Authority’s economic development strategy and help attract jobs and investment into the region.
The masterplan for the site, at West Hartford, on the outskirts of Cramlington, was unveiled to North East Mayor Kim McGuinness at an event that also saw Port of Blyth CEO Martin Lawlor OBE announced as a Non-Executive Director of the JV.
The 135-acre prestige employment site, which is strategically positioned close to the deep water Port of Blyth and the ORE Catapult testing facilities, will support the growth of the nearby port and has been welcomed as part of the Energy Central Partnership, presenting a unique opportunity for investors in the marine, offshore, and renewable energy sectors.
The Joint Venture will work closely with the port as a strategic partner, benefiting from Martin’s extensive knowledge of the North East’s business environment and strategic sectors to strengthen its efforts to drive local and regional economic growth.
Martin’s leadership at the Port of Blyth has seen it achieve record financial performance and establish itself as a hub for offshore energy, particularly in the renewable sector.
Under his guidance, the port has developed strong infrastructure and a growing cluster of more than 50 businesses through its Energy Central initiative, a nationally significant offshore energy cluster.
Dean Cook, Managing Director of Arlington Real Estate, said: “It was great to meet with the Mayor to showcase our masterplan and, what we feel is, a real opportunity to attract investment into the area and to help with the her plans to boost investment and job creation in the region. West Hartford is currently the only site in the area that can accommodate large scale development to attract both national and international businesses. I am also delighted to announce that Martin Lawlor has joined the JV as Non-Executive Director, he will play a key role in securing the success of this development.”
Martin Lawlor said: “I am pleased to join the Arlington Real Estate and Homes England Joint venture at an exciting time in its journey. Having worked extensively to enhance the economic impact of the Port of Blyth, I look forward to bringing my experience to support the JV’s work in driving regional regeneration through this development, which will bolster the area’s infrastructure and business capacity.”
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness said: ““The potential of offshore wind to transform the North East economy is massive, to attract investment, good jobs and create new training and rewarding careers for local workers.
“We have unrivalled access to the North East and I’m determined to harness this potential to create real opportunity for workers and businesses. We’re investing in Energy Central to make this happen, and I look forward to working with Arlington and Port of Blyth to make our global North East economy even stronger.”
