CONSTRUCTION of more than 20 modern business units will begin this summer next to Amazon's warehouse near Durham.

Durham County Council has granted planning consent to Citrus Durham for the next phase of employment accommodation at its £300m mixed-use Integra 61 development at J61 of the A1(M) at Bowburn.

The new business/industrial hub, Evolution@Integra61, will be delivered speculatively by Citrus and will add up to a further 23 flexible units totalling 52,142 sq ft in sizes from 1,205 sq ft up to 6,480 sq ft at the Integra 61 development.

The site already includes Amazon’s new 2m sq ft Fulfilment Centre and has consent for more than 3 million sq ft of employment space - with the potential to create some 4,000 jobs.

The new units at Evolution@Integra61, which will be available to purchase or lease, can be occupied individually or combined to meet larger requirements of up to 14,940 sq ft.

With design and build packages available for units up to 600,000 sq ft in the wider Integra 61 scheme, the development can accommodate occupiers of all sizes making it inclusive for all businesses seeking new space in the North-East.

Integra 61 will also create about 300 new homes, a 70-bed hotel, a family pub/restaurant, a nursery, car showrooms and a number of trade counter/retail units all adding to the diverse offering.

The site fronts onto the newly upgraded A688 and Durham Services and is just 4 miles away from Durham city.

Developers say Evolution@Integra61 has been designed to address the regional shortage of modern small units, to satisfy strong demand from local and regional occupiers seeking high quality industrial and warehouse units in the centre of County Durham.

Citrus Durham plans to appoint a contractor to start work on site in the summer and agents, Avison Young and Colliers International, are already taking reservations in advance of practical completion of Evolution@Integra61 in the last quarter of 2021.

David Cullingford, project lead for Integra 61 and Citrus Durham, said: “We are proud to be delivering such an inclusive scheme and to be able to offer a wide range of opportunities to businesses of all sizes.

"Research has demonstrated the critical lack of new build space in the North East and we are confident that this next phase of flexible business accommodation will not only support regional occupiers but also provide an influx of jobs to boost the local economy."

Danny Cramman, director at Avison Young, said: “The scheme will unlock much-needed new supply for the region.

"With the industrial and logistics sector so busy, there continues to be an increasing need for these type of units and there has already been a huge amount of interest expressed by local and regional businesses seeking a rare opportunity to purchase premises of this size in such a prime location.

"Occupiers will also benefit from the wide range of on-site amenities being delivered as part of the wider scheme."