Member Article

£5m redevelopment adds 40 business units to Newcastle’s Hoults Yard

Hoults Yard, the Ouseburn-based office and studio complex, has created an additional 40 business units following a £5m redevelopment of the site.

The business hub’s increased offering stems from the regeneration of the Maling pottery building, a rundown historical landmark adjacent to Hoults Yard itself.

As well as the introduction of further business units, the building’s regeneration has also created a novel ‘front door’ concierge reception as well as new meeting rooms.

Sunderland’s Brims Construction completed the transformation which has now seen 20% of the new space let in the first few weeks of completion, with further agreements waiting to be signed.

Charlie Hoult, owner and developer of the site, said: “We appointed Xsite architects and Brims Construction, who had worked together on the refurbishment of the Toffee Factory, after admiring what they had both achieved on that job.

“We appreciated working with Brims, a North East family based firm similar in many ways to ourselves, and were impressed with the responsiveness shown by the two directors, and brothers, Jason and Richard Wood.”

Richard Wood, director Brims Construction, said: “This was a complicated and intricate conversion of a 140-year-old building, but we are a company which has extensive experience in work of this type.

“The award-winning conversion of the Toffee Factory, is just a few hundreds yards from this site and is an example of our pedigree in this respect, but we have also recently converted the Pearl building in Northumberland Street, Newcastle and were recognised for our transformation of the NEPIA offices on the Quayside too.

“This is an excellent development for the region’s creative and digital sector and we wish Hoults Yards every success in this latest venture.”

With the new addition the 10-acre Hoults Yard complex now houses 150 units, with over 500 people working at the various businesses in the hub.

Mr Hoult added: “This development of the former Maling pottery building has allowed us to re-imagine the whole Hoults Yard offering by providing a front-door reception, additional business office space, meetings rooms and superfast broadband. The outcome is being very well received in the market.”

Amongst the new occupiers are digital and recruitment companies travel tour guides and a New Zealand-based software company which has established its first UK presence.

Mr Hoult added: “There’s an urgent need for bespoke office accommodation in Newcastle to cater for the rapidly growing creative and tech sector.

“The original Hoults was getting full and we reimagined our whole offering and there may be further exciting developments to follow.”

The new addition includes loft-style accommodation in 20 small units to businesses of one to three people, move-on accommodation of more than 1,000sqft for bigger firms and serviced meeting rooms.

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