ADG completes string of Northern deals

Roadside specialist Almscliffe-Dhesi Group has secured a bevy of national occupiers for upcoming developments in Scunthorpe, Sunderland, Peterlee and Stanley.

Neil Creeney, who owns and runs ADG with business partner Bal Singh, said: “This has been a tremendously busy and productive year for us, despite the challenging economic conditions, high interest rates and the fluctuating commercial property market.

“We have made significant progress at all our sites, underlining our growing reputation as one of the most active retail/roadside developers in the north of England.”

Work has now started on site at Scunthorpe, where ADG’s 7,300 sq ft roadside scheme will include a Starbucks drive thru, a Central England Co-op and The Tanning Shop, together with EV charging points.

The site is located at the Queensway and Kinsgway roundabout opposite Central Park. The development will be completed by spring next year and has been sold to a private investor.

At the same time, ADG is transforming the old Farringdon Hall police station site and surrounding land off Durham Road in Sunderland in a £10m development.

ADG’s plans to create a 32,100 sq ft retail park have been approved and occupiers already signed up include B&M, Homestore, Costa, Westway Vets, Greggs and Tanning Shop, with eight EV chargers on site.

Work will start on site in January next year, with financial backing from FW Capital, and is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.

Meanwhile plans have been approved by Durham County Council for a retail-led neighbourhood centre on the outskirts of Peterlee. The development will re-use the former car dealership unit on site and provide new build units to further compliment the scheme.

Already signed up for the 13,000 sq ft development are Sainsbury’s, Tanning Shop, Cooplands, and Domino’s, together with EV charging points.

One unit is still available, comprising 1,250 sq ft of quality retail space. Work is planned to start on site later this year, with completion scheduled for the middle of 2024.

Creeney said: “It is tremendous news that a retailer of the quality and reputation of Sainsburys has decided to move into our planned retail centre in Peterlee. What a resounding endorsement of our development. We expect serious interest in the remaining unit, given the quality of retailers already signed up.

“We are also currently working on developments in Stanley and Crook and have already this year successfully completed roadside developments in Stanley, Middlesbrough and Washington.

“Altogether we have had five successful planning permissions this year which will create nearly 1,000 new and sustainable jobs.”

Singh added: “Our blueprint involves locating a vacant visible, roadside site, preferably in Yorkshire, the North East or Humberside, and obtaining planning permission to develop it for retail and roadside uses. We have excellent contacts for nationally renowned end-users, including supermarkets, drive-thru outlets and retail operators, who are looking for what we can provide.

“Our developments breathe new life into vacant brownfield sites and provide much-needed new facilities and jobs. This chimes in with the Government’s levelling up agenda for the north, which aims to invest in Northern towns that have previously been left behind.”