TWO more tenants have moved into premises on UK Land Estates Waterfront development.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has taken over the 26,167sq ft Quadrant building, as well as a 3,350sq ft adjacent industrial unit at Newburn Riverside, Newcastle.

Meanwhile, Swan Office Systems has moved into a 3,073sq ft factory.

Defra is fitting out its industrial unit and office accommodation for occupation at the end of the month.

Chris Northover, principal property manger of Defra, said: "We chose the Quadrant at the Waterfront development above all other buildings put forward because of the flexibility and the energy efficiency status of this office building provided by UK Land Estates.

"What has impressed us most of all is the unrivalled overall design and setting of the property and the park.

"The high quality landscape and imaginative use of materials within the Waterfront, together with the country park setting of the surrounding Newburn Riverside and the River Tyne, is exactly the location that a progressive modern organisation wishes to locate for the long-term."

Swan Office Systems is the main authorised dealer of Minolta products in the North-East, supplying and servicing digital photocopiers, printers and fax machines to companies such as Greggs, Bannatyne Fitness and Newcastle University.

Swan's move to Newburn follows the sale of offices in Jesmond, Newcastle.

Ray Maloney, director of the company, said: "The Waterfront at Newburn is definitely the right place for us, with a centralised location, excellent road links, including immediate access to the A1."

He said the move would enable the company to expand and take on more staff.

Gary Hudson, development director for UK Land Estates said: "We are very pleased to welcome Defra and Swan Office Systems to the Waterfront. The Waterfront is now over 70 per cent complete and at this early stage over 50 per cent of the offices and factories have been pre-let.

"One NorthEast has recently occupied its 60,000 sq ft headquarters and we will be making further announcements of new lettings over the next month.

"We are developing the third stage of office and industrial space on the region's largest regeneration site and the UK's second largest regeneration scheme here."