The application for a petrol station, shop and a drive-thru coffee shop, beside the A189 just south of Ashington’s North Seaton Roundabout, has been approved by Northumberland County Council’s strategic planning committee.

Ashwood Business Park in Northumberland is now set to benefit from a £4 million investment from major international forecourt operator Euro Garages.

The company plans to build a circa 8,000 sq. ft development on the site in South East Northumberland, which will include a petrol filling station, convenience store, and drive-through Starbucks outlet.

 It will create 30 jobs, with a further 35 jobs through construction work. The scheme will provide important amenities and services for existing users on the Ashwood Business Park site as well as local residents and passing trade upon the busy A189. A new access would be created off the Ashwood Drive roundabout, with the petrol station and shop located on the northern section of the site with the coffee shop towards the southern boundary. It is proposed that the petrol station, featuring four double-sided pumps, two HGV pumps in a separate area, two jet wash bays, a vacuum bay and an air/water bay, would operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the food-to-go offer would be open from 6am to 10 pm. The drive-thru coffee shop would also be a seven-day-a-week operation, opening from 6am to 11pm.

The 62-acre Ashwood Business Park is owned by Advance Northumberland and is at the heart of one of the North East’s strongest manufacturing clusters. It is a North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Enterprise Zone, meaning that organisations locating there can benefit from 100% Enhanced Capital Allowances.  The vision for the site is to increase its presence as a new centre for advanced manufacturing, the process industry and the engineering sector in North East of England. Ashwood Business Park is already home to the AkzoNobel paint processing facility which is one of the most sustainable production plants in Europe and the headquarters of housing provider Bernicia Homes.

The planned investment from Euro Garages marks another step forward in the development of Ashwood Business Park. Last year, Advance Northumberland and Northumberland County Council secured.£2.7 million from the North East LEP for infrastructure improvements to encourage further inward investment and growth projects at the site. This work will commence later this month on the site, it will begin with landscaping and tree removal before the infrastructure work which will commence in April.

Euro Garages was founded in 2001 by brothers Mohsin and Zuber Issa and has established itself as one of the UK’s fastest growing and most recognisable forecourt operators, with an expanding portfolio of around 4,500 sites across the UK, mainland Europe, the USA and Australia.

Plots available at Ashwood Business Park, which is one of the largest development sites in Northumberland, are from 50,000 sq. ft to 500,000 sq. ft. A variety of industrial units can be developed, with tenure options ranging from a freehold sale to a bespoke, turnkey solutions  The site is close to the A1(M) and A19 road links with easy access to the Port of Blyth, Newcastle International Airport and planned Northumberland Rail line station at Ashington.

Richard Wearmouth, Chair of Advance Northumberland said, “We’re delighted that Euro Garages has committed to building new amenities at Ashwood Business Park – and it’s fantastic to be welcoming a company of their calibre to the site.

“The petrol station and retail offering from Euro Garages will enhance Ashwood Business Park’s infrastructure and further boost its appeal to investors looking for a well-connected location within a vibrant manufacturing cluster and with a highly skilled workforce on the doorstep”.

“Ashwood Business Park is a place where businesses can develop and expand, and we have seen from the success of AkzoNobel and Bernicia Homes how companies can thrive at this prime location.”

Andrew Moffat, CBE, Chair of the Investment Board at the North East LEP, said: “The arrival of Euro Garages to Ashwood Business Park will further cement this Enterprise Zone as a very attractive prospect for investors. The site is in a prime location and businesses locating there will benefit from tax breaks and a range of interventions – we look forward to this site attracting many more businesses and creating more and better jobs for our residents.”

To find out more about Ashwood Business Park, please visit: www.investnorthumberland.co.uk/sites/ashwood-business-park/