Durham news
INTELLIGENCE FUNDING
ROUTE 61
CGI – a computer generated image of how the new £ 300m development at Bowburn might look .
£ 300m Integra development moves on to next ambitious stage
A
colossal industrial development in the heart of County Durham is pushing ahead with the next stage of a £ 300m investment which is expected to eventually create 4,000 local jobs .
The latest advance in the Integra 61 site at Bowburn has been signalled by the submission of a reserved matters application to Durham County Council from property developers Citrus Durham
The submission is for Evolution @ Integra61 at its multi-million-pound mixeduse scheme at J61 of the A1 ( M ) at Bowburn .
The newest phase of the development , four miles south of Durham City , will include 24 new industrial units totalling 50,921 sq ft and ranging in size from 1,205 sq ft up to 4,625 sq ft .
The units , which will be available to purchase or lease , will provide space for local as well as regional businesses .
The centrepiece of the major development is Amazon ’ s new 2m sq ft Fulfilment
Centre , recently opened , and which has helped increase the momentum around the ambitious scheme .
Eventually , the £ 300m development will house around 300 new homes and roadside opportunities including drive-throughs , a 70-bed hotel , family pub / restaurant , nursery , car showrooms and trade counter and retail units .
It has been estimated that the site , partially chosen for its excellent transport links – sitting opposite the newly upgraded A688 and Durham Services – could create up to 4,000 jobs for the area .
David Cullingford , project lead for Integra 61 and Citrus Durham , said : “ The creation of the smaller units makes Integra 61 a truly inclusive scheme , with wide-ranging opportunities for businesses of all sizes .
“ This further significant investment will generate yet more jobs and we are pleased to be able to support regional occupiers with their growth ambitions and be part of this unique project in County Durham .”
Durham chartered surveyors bought out
Well-established Durham company Smith Chartered Surveyors has been bought out for an undisclosed sum by a larger , Yorkshire counterpart .
Leeds-based Carter Towler employs 50 people and has been involved in more than 350 industrial and commercial investment deals over the past 12 months .
It currently manages 4,000 properties for its clients nationwide .
Ashley Smith Chartered Surveyors , which was formed in 1989 , is based in purposebuilt offices at Oakmere , Belmont Business Park in Durham .
It has commercial and industrial property clients across County Durham , Tyne and Wear , Teesside , Northumberland and North Yorkshire , so the move marks the creation of a major company .
A County Durham company which specialises in gathering and interpreting data has secured a major £ 400,000 investment which will allow it to step up to the “ next phase of growth ”.
Intelligence Fusion is one of a new breed of high-tech companies that gather information in sophisticated ways and deploy it to enhance security for customers .
The company combines data and analysis to enable customers to detect and respond to incidents and to mitigate threats and protect their people , assets and operations worldwide .
And the new funding , contributed by the Finance Durham Fund , the Future Fund , and existing investors , led by Maven Capital Partners , will allow it to further develop its systems .
Accountancy firm ’ s IT division grows
Chartered accountancy firm Mullen Stoker has seen demand for its IT services rapidly increase as more and more people are required to work from home .
Gary Stoker ( pictured ), who heads up Durham-based Mullen Stoker ’ s IT department , said : “ Over the past couple of months we ’ ve definitely seen an upsurge in the number of calls we ’ re taking from businesses that are realising home working is here to stay , and feel they need to invest in the proper infrastructure and systems to enable them to continue operating efficiently .”
Mullen Stoker , based at Mandale Business Park in Durham , was founded 11 years ago and now employs 14 people .
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