KING Sturge has let a 23,500 sq ft industrial unit at Aycliffe Business Park in Newton Aycliffe to Mears Ltd.

The unit is one of several properties that have been upgraded on the estate following a substantial investment programme by new managers, Valad Property Group, which recently invested more than £1m in the refurbishment of the industrial estate on behalf of The Industrial Trust. This latest deal follows a number of recent lettings totalling over 50,000 sq ft in the first quarter of 2009, building on the 250,000 sq ft of industrial stock let in 2008.

Mears Ltd is the leading social housing repairs and maintenance provider in the UK. It has recently been awarded a contract to carry out repairs and maintenance work to council housing stock for Sedgefield Homes and subsequently had a requirement for industrial space in the area.