April 2026
Left to right: David Cato, CBRE, Dean Cook, Arlington Real Estate, and Richard Scott, HTA Real Estate
Arlington Real Estate has appointed leading industrial and logistics property specialists HTA Real Estate and CBRE as joint marketing agents for its landmark West Hartford Park development in Cramlington, as the scheme moves towards a planning decision in May.
The 126-acre site, being brought forward in partnership with Homes England, represents the largest remaining strategic employment allocation in Northumberland and is capable of delivering more than one million sq ft of high-quality industrial, manufacturing and logistics space.
The appointment of HTA and CBRE represents a further significant step forward in the progression of West Hartford Park, strengthening the professional team as the scheme moves towards its anticipated planning determination at May’s committee meeting. Arlington has been working closely with the Local Planning Authority over the past 12 months to secure a recommendation for approval.
The development has already attracted strong interest from local, regional, national and international occupiers seeking large-scale, fully-enabled space in a globally connected location, reflecting the scale of the opportunity and the strategic importance of the site within the North East’s industrial and energy landscape.
Located just minutes from the deep-sea Port of Blyth, West Hartford Park will add to the Energy Central Partnership cluster, which positions South East Northumberland as a national hub for offshore and renewable energy, clean technology, advanced manufacturing and emerging AI-related sectors.
The scheme’s location also supports recent announcements regarding investment in offshore wind with The Crown Estate confirming new seabed sites will be leased off the North East coast, which will drive billions of pounds of investments into the region.
The masterplan outline application proposes flexible manufacturing and industrial units ranging from 40,000 sq ft to 532,000 sq ft, available on freehold or leasehold terms, alongside office accommodation, innovation-led facilities and ancillary retail amenity. Each building can be tailored to occupier requirements and will benefit from significant power capacity, high-quality infrastructure and excellent transport connectivity.
The scheme is expected to support the creation of over 2,000 jobs and generate more than £150 million of investment into the North East economy, representing a major inward investment opportunity for Northumberland and the wider region.
West Hartford Park sits adjacent to an established industrial, logistics and manufacturing park, enabling future occupiers to tap into a skilled local workforce, established supply chains and major road networks, alongside global trade routes via the Port of Blyth.
Designed to set a new regional benchmark for environment-led employment development, with 40 acres of the site dedicated to ecological mitigation, and green and open space. The masterplan creates a landscaped, wellbeing-focused business park environment that combines high-quality workspace with enhanced biodiversity, walking routes and on-site amenities.
Dean Cook, Managing Director of Arlington Real Estate, said: “Appointing HTA and CBRE is a significant step forward for West Hartford Park. They are both highly respected agents with a proven track record and experience in the industrial and logistics sector and strong national and international connections with occupiers.
“We are already seeing very encouraging levels of interest from occupiers across multiple sectors, including advanced manufacturing, renewables, logistics and technology. West Hartford Park offers something genuinely unique in the North East, scale, power, connectivity and proximity to a deep-water port.
“As we work alongside the local planning authority towards a committee decision in May, our focus is on ensuring the scheme is ready to move quickly following approval, so we can convert that interest into investment, jobs and long-term economic value for Northumberland.”
Richard Scott, director from HTA Real Estate said: “West Hartford Park is one of the most strategically significant employment sites currently being brought to market in the North East. The combination of scale, infrastructure, power availability and proximity to the Port of Blyth makes it highly compelling for both UK-based and international occupiers.
“We are already engaging with a range of businesses exploring expansion and relocation opportunities, and we expect interest to accelerate further as the planning process progresses.”
David Cato, director from CBRE added: “There is strong demand nationally for large, well-located industrial and manufacturing sites with the ability to deliver bespoke solutions. West Hartford Park meets that requirement and is particularly well positioned to attract inward investment into the region.
“The scheme’s alignment with the Energy Central Partnership and wider clean energy and advanced manufacturing clusters adds further weight to its proposition.”