Work forges ahead on transformation of former Littlewoods call centre and warehouse site in Hendon

The 8.5acre land off Commercial Road is well known for its time as the Littlewoods call centre and warehouse, as well as being a depot for the Brian Mills company, but it has stood empty since 2010.

Now, works are taking place to turn it into Eastgate Point, a £12m mixed-use scheme that includes a cluster of 19 energy efficient industrial units, a drive-thru food and drink facility and an EV charging station, which supports the city’s green ambitions.

Helping bring the project to life is architectural, structural engineering and project management practice, Building Design Northern Ltd (BDN), delivered on behalf of developers Promenade Properties with main contractors, Hewitson Group.

It’s already been announced that Gentoo will open a new state-of-the-art trade depot for its property services team, in partnership with materials supplier Jewson Partnership Solutions, at the site, with construction having started on that build.

Ryan Doyle, Operations Director at BDN Ltd, said: “Back in its day, this site was a hive of activity – it was home to Littlewoods’ call centre (Brian Mills) and the workplace of over 900 people.

“It is a prime location only minutes from the Port of Sunderland and the city centre, so to be able to bring it back to life and create a modern, bespoke and market-driven scheme that will meet demand, encourage wider business interest and new opportunities from other industries, boost the local economy and regenerate the area, was key.

“We had many considerations to take into account including different levels of the land, access to services and power, how we could maximise its overall sustainability and energy efficiency offering, and how we could achieve the maximum commercial footprint, amongst others.

“The site already had excellent connectivity in terms of transport links to major routes which is always a huge bonus for attracting inward investment, but with a residential area close by too, it was also important to create the right landscaping and improve the nearby streetscape.

“Eastgate Point is very much an architectural design-led development that delivers an ambitious vision as part of the city’s greater regeneration masterplan, so the team is very much looking forward to its opening and the next chapter as a busy commercial location. Remedial groundworks started in June, and the first stages of construction are now underway.”

Site construction and building works (phase one only) are anticipated to completed by Summer 2026.