Go Ahead for new £7.7m bus depot

New depot site at Metro Riverside: (Left to right) Michael Spriggs, managing director, UK Land Estates; Gary Hudson, UK Land Estates; Adrian Bartle, director, UK Land Estates; Neil Robinson, Go Ahead group; Kevin Carr, managing director, Go North East.

Planning permission has been granted for a new purpose built bus depot for Go North East, the area’s largest bus company, which will see £7.7m of investment in the region.

New depot site at Metro Riverside: (Left to right) Michael Spriggs, managing director, UK Land Estates; Gary Hudson, UK Land Estates; Adrian Bartle, director, UK Land Estates; Neil Robinson, Go Ahead group; Kevin Carr, managing director, Go North East.

The investment in the new facility will secure 559 jobs in Gateshead with the potential to provide many more with expansion. A further potential 170 jobs will be provided during construction of the facility. The new depot will also allow the bus operator to increase operations in the future and improve day-to-day operational efficiency

Go North East, part of the Go-Ahead Group, will relocate its two existing facilities in Cromwell Place, Winlaton and Sunderland Road, Gateshead, into the new state-of-the-art development at Handy Drive, Metro Riverside.

Kevin Carr, Managing Director of Go North East, said: “We are delighted that Gateshead Council has approved our application for the new bus depot. This substantial investment is testament to our commitment to provide jobs for local people and increase the standard of the bus services in the region.

“The new facility, designed by UK Land Estates, will make our bus operations even more efficient for our customers and underlines our pledge to continuing improvement we’ve made in our ‘Charter for Positive Change’.

The new depot will include many sustainable design elements such as rainwater harvesting and recycling of water onsite. The depot will cover approximately 2.38 hectares and consist of 4,150m2 of workshops, storage, office, mess room and training facilities with external testing and bus fleet parking areas.

Gateshead Council Group Director of Development and Enterprise, Paul Dowling, said: “This is the latest in a series of major private sector investments on brown field sites in Gateshead. The new depot will take full advantage of the fact that Metrocentre is now a key transport interchange. This area around the Metro Centre is a key regeneration area and we look forward to working with our partners to attract further development opportunities in the future.”

UK Land Estates is putting plans in place to start on site in the summer 2012 with occupation by Go North East likely by later summer 2013.

Michael Spriggs, Managing Director of UK Land Estates, said: “We are delighted to have secured detailed planning permission in line with Go North Easts requirements. This major new public transport investment will be a boost to the Tyneside economy and for local employment.”