17 December 2024
Former Sunderland colliery reborn as retail park
The site of a historic Tyne and Wear colliery, which closed down over 40 years ago has been transformed into a new £20m retail park, delivered by Robertson Construction North East.
Situated in the Sunderland town of Houghton-le-Spring, the retail park was the site of Houghton Colliery, which opened in 1829 and was the heart of the community until its closure in 1981. When fully open next year, the site is expected to support over 100 jobs.
Developed by north east regeneration specialists Hellens Group, main contractor Robertson commenced the project just 15 months ago with civils works before constructing two steel retail shells.
One unit of 45,000 sqft opened to the public earlier this month with Tesco as the anchor tenant, and the remaining 20,000 sqft space has been let to Home Bargains, which is set to open early in the new year. The development also included the construction of a petrol filling station and 300-bay car park.
The project delivered significant social and economic benefits throughout its construction phase with 13 local jobs created, including roles for two individuals who had been long-term unemployed. Robertson also partnered with the local supply chain, seeing almost £7m spent with businesses within a 30-mile radius of the site.
Neil Kennedy, Regional Managing Director, Robertson Construction North East, said: “Regeneration like this has the ability to transform a community and it’s fantastic to have worked with Hellens Group to be able to create this retail park for Houghton-le-Spring, especially as the site had lain empty for so long. This project has already brought local benefits during its construction phase and will continue to drive long-term economic and social growth for the area.”
Gavin Cordwell-Smith, Chief Executive, Hellens Group, said: “We are delighted to see the completion of this transformative journey from a challenging brownfield site to a vibrant hub for the community.
“As a Sunderland-based company, we are committed to bringing forward local regeneration projects that benefit the area. The invaluable support from Robertson Construction and Sunderland City Council has been key to making this vision a reality.”
In a nod to the site’s colliery past, a specially-commissioned 16ft (5m) statue was officially unveiled earlier this month, incorporating a steel helmet, pit token, and head torch by local artists Ray and Sam Lonsdale.
