Major Teesside Freeport development given go ahead

March 27th 2025

Plans for a major development on land at one of Europe’s largest R&D sites have been given the go ahead.

Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council has approved a planning application for nearly 150,000 sq. ft of new technical/manufacturing space, laboratories and offices at the Wilton Centre in Redcar.

The buildings will be inside the boundary of the Teesside Freeport so their occupiers will benefit from a range of incentives, including savings on Stamp Duty, Business Rates and National Insurance contributions.

The site is operated by a leading developer of life science ecosystems, Pioneer Group, which integrates R&D infrastructure, venture investment and support across its 12 sites in the UK and Ireland.

It believes its significant investment in the Wilton Freeport Development will create several hundred new jobs.

Executive Director Toby Reid said: “Companies at the Wilton Centre are tackling a range of issues from difficult to recycle materials to removing fossil fuels from manufacturing processes. The new development will allow more companies like these to get started and scale their processes in purpose built facilities, creating jobs and ultimately positively impacting the health of our planet.”

Wilton Centre Site Director Steve Duffield said: “This is great news for Teesside, the Centre and the scientists, researchers and support staff who will hopefully be working here in the not too distant future.

“The Wilton Centre is celebrating its 50th birthday this year and while we’re looking back at the great times here we’re also looking forward to a very exciting future as these plans become reality.”

The Centre accommodates 60 businesses, with an increasing number engaged in bio-manufacturing, bio-pharmaceuticals and the circular economy. It is also home to the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI), the High Value Manufacturing Catapult. The new high quality facilities are expected to attract like-mined companies, both start-ups and established businesses.

There will be 16 units providing technical development space, a two-storey incubator building containing 14 fully-equipped laboratories as well as five offices. The size of the labs range from 300 sq. ft to 1,000 sq. ft to meet the needs of both small and new businesses. People working there will have access to the main building where there is a restaurant, Wellbeing Centre, lecture theatre and space for events.

The go ahead for the Wilton Freeport Development comes shortly after the publication of a study by the CPI and Square One Law which warned that a lack of laboratory space in the North East “hinders the development and expansion of the region’s science and technology sectors”. The report concluded that addressing this shortage was “crucial for fostering a thriving environment for research and development.”

The Wilton Centre is already trying to tackle this problem by making available 6,000 sq. ft of laboratory space with 2,000 sq. ft of office accommodation alongside.