Green light given to flagship offices
WORK on what town hall chiefs hope could be one of most ecofriendly buildings in the North East could start later this year.
The Glassworks, a flagship office development at the heart of South Shields’s regeneration, has been given the green light by borough chiefs.
The proposals have attracted wide support, with heritage experts praising the impact the scheme will have on the historic Mill Dam, in the Harton Quay area of the town.
And it is hoped the application, which was approved this week, will pave the way for the region’s first ever net zero carbon office building.
Speaking after the decision, George Mansbridge, South Tyneside Council’s corporate director of regeneration and environment, said: “The design and construction processes will result in almost a third less carbon, which is the equivalent of planting four hectares of young woodland forest.
“Operational energy will be significantly reduced with highly efficient heating, lighting and ventilation systems.
“The building will also have the ability to connect to a future renewable district heating network in the town.”
The site, formerly home to Swinburne’s Glass Works and a stone yard, is expected to provide 50,000 sq ft of office space, as well as basement parking, a reception area, communal workspace, coffee bar and a roof terrace.
Tracey Dixon, the leader of the council, has previously said she expects the scheme to support up to 1,500 jobs in South Shields. Cement substitutes, open ceiling spaces and recycled materials are among the measures designers hope will cut ‘embodied carbon’ during construction by almost a third. Solar panels, LED lighting and heat pumps will increase energy efficiency once the building is operational. Andrew Fairest, projects director at Muse Developments, the council’s development partner on the project, said the application’s approval was a ‘strong endorsement’ of the firm’s work in South Shields to date.
He added: “Despite the challenging times we’re in, we’re still seeing a demand for high-quality office space that not only provides an agile and positive environment to work from, but is also climate resilient and adaptable to our changing world.”