Plans for £5m revamp of retail park unveiled

Plans have been announced for a full revamp of Washington Retail Park, which is based off Sunderland Highway.

The existing park will be redeveloped and refurbished as part of the work, which has been planned by Peel Land and Property, which owns and manages the site.

Planning permission has been granted for three refurbished units, and Lidl have been given the go-ahead to build a new supermarket in the park.

An extra 4,567 sq ft of retail space will be added to the site, which will include another food retail unit, a non-food retail unit and a unit with consent for use as a coffee shop or sandwich shop.

Roger Wheeldon, director of development at Peel Land and Property, said: "The new Lidl supermarket forms part of our wider investment in Washington Retail Park and our plans for a full transformation of this site, including the refurbishment of existing units and a revamp of the overall look and feel of the retail park.

"Washington Retail Park is perfectly placed for excellent development opportunities and with our £5million investment and a number of exciting new retailers in the pipeline, we look forward to evolving this site and creating a very attractive new offering for the local catchment."

Peel is also set to invest in new cladding on existing units, new signage, glazing and store entrances, and a full redesign of the car park with new landscaping.

Among the existing retailers at Washington Retail Park are B&M Bargains, JD Gyms, Franks Carpets and McDonalds.

The new supermarket and refurbished park is scheduled to open in the summer of 2019.