A NEW £250m business park on Tyneside has taken another stride forward.

The scheme will create about 5,000 jobs over the ten-year development programme, which will see 1.5m sq ft of office space developed on the 53-acre site.

Preferred developers for the scheme, Terrace Hill, have put up signs announcing the arrival of the business park close to The Gateshead Millennium bridge and the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, as well as the Baltic Quay residential development.

Philip Leech, of Terrace Hill, is confident that this environment will help the business park attract some top companies.

He said: "By creating exactly the right mix of quality building design and amenity, we have been able to attract top flight organisations to our other business park developments and we will use that experience on this lat- est scheme as we seek to attract high calibre inward investors to Gateshead."

He said Gateshead was an exciting place to be. "A clear message is being sent out that Gateshead can deliver and can provide the ideal setting for business, the arts and the community to thrive side by side."

Architects for the scheme are Red Box Design. They are in the final stages of creating a masterplan for the site before submission for outline planning permission next month.

Emphasis is being placed on the creation of a high quality working environment. Buildings will be arranged in an urban landscaped setting around squares connected by pedestrianised boulevards and walkways.

Partner Andrew Clark said: "This is not a conventional business park where one sees edge-of-town or out-of- town offices surrounded by a sea of parked cars.

"This is to be a fully integrated urban office park where through traffic will be radically reduced by the careful incorporation of underground car parks combined with a high level of planting to create a secure, tranquil setting in which businesses can flourish."

Councillor Mick Henry, of Gateshead Council, said: "This business park is further proof of the ever-changing face of Gateshead.

"It is great to see that developers are so keen to build visionary commercial developments around Gateshead, and revive some of the areas that we, as a council, are also so keen to help revitalise."

Local agents for the scheme are Sanderson, Townend and Gilbert.

Other core team members include engineering consultancy, White Young Green, which is carrying out traffic impact and environmental assessments as well as geo-technical and contamination investigations.

A national agent has yet to be appointed.