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BioRegional Quintain signs development agreement for £200m regeneration project
It was announced today that BioRegional Quintain Limited has signed a development agreement with
English Partnerships for the next phase of a development at Middlehaven, and which has been coordinated by Tees Valley Regeneration. BioRegional Quintain Limited is a joint venture between BioRegional Properties Limited and Quintain Estates and Development PLC. This 40 acre, £200 million phase of the Middlehaven development is expected to provide up to 1,000 new jobs and will combine public and private sector investment.
The development is centred around waterfront land at the former Middlesbrough docks. It will include
750 homes, significant office space and leisure facilities, including a hotel, destination retail, bars and
restaurants.
Masterplanned by Will Alsop, the award-winning architect, the site is planned to be at the cutting
edge of contemporary architecture and will combine world-class design with the highest standards in
sustainable development.
Nick Shattock, Deputy Chief Executive of Quintain Estates and Development PLC, commented: “This
development agreement is an important milestone for both Quintain and BioRegional Quintain.
Middlehaven will become a European exemplar in the field of zero carbon development and
BioRegional Quintain is one of the few companies which has both the experience and the ability to
deliver a zero carbon scheme of this size.“
Speaking at the announcement ceremony in Middlesbrough, Pete Halsall, BioRegional Quintain’s
Managing Director, said: ‘BioRegional Quintain is delighted to have signed the development
agreement for Middlehaven. We are also delighted by the positive and supportive approach taken by
our public sector partners. We will bring our long experience in the world of sustainable development
to this exciting project, which is planned to become a model of best practice for regeneration. We
anticipate that this project will provide a quality living and working environment to Middlesbrough, as
well as new jobs and investment very much suited to the emerging economic confidence of the
region. Our aim is for this new place to become a focal point for the town and for the Tees Valley
region.
“This one million square foot phase of Middlehaven will be the largest zero carbon development in the
UK, and combined with our strong emphasis on design quality, Middlehaven represents a dramatic
leap forward for regeneration in the UK.
Joe Docherty, Chief Executive of Tees Valley Regeneration, which commissioned the original Alsop
masterplan and has facilitated the development agreement, is delighted to welcome BioRegional
Quintain to the team.
“This will be a spectacular head-turning development that will live up to - and perhaps even exceed -
the expectations we created when we unveiled the masterplan.
“Middlehaven will include a collection of iconic structures conceived by the most talented and creative
architects working today. There will be no other place in Europe with so many daring and exciting, yet
sustainable and practical buildings standing side-by-side.
“Imagine the different perception of Middlesbrough visitors will take away. It will speak volumes about
an area in ascent and a town brave enough to take huge steps into the future,” said Joe.
Ray Mallon, elected Mayor of Middlesbrough, said; “Well now the sceptics have their answer. Work
will soon be underway transforming the redundant waterfront into a thriving community.
“We set our standards high – some say too high, but in BioRegional Quintain we have a company
internationally renowned for its innovative approach to sustainable development and I welcome them
to the town.’
Steve Gawthorpe, English Partnerships North East area director said: “Middlehaven is one of English
Partnerships’ National Strategic Sites and its importance in the regeneration of Middlesbrough and
the wider Tees Valley cannot be over emphasised. As owners of the site we are delighted to have
signed a development agreement with Bioregional Quintain for such an exciting and innovative
scheme, a major coup for the area. The regeneration will put Middlehaven firmly on the national map
and following so closely after the start on site of the new Middlesbrough College, it signals an exciting
future for Tees Valley.”
BioRegional Quintain is working with English Partnerships, the national regeneration agency, which
owns the land and has invested £40m in the overall project. Construction of a new Middlesbrough
College began in September 2006 and will bring 20,000 students to the development.
BioRegional Quintain Limited expect to begin construction in 2007. The initial stages of the development will include innovative residential properties focussed on the first time buyer, professionals, empty nesters and investors. Marketing to secure a hotel operator has begun. Leisure developments such as waterfront bars and restaurants will also be included in the early construction work.
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