More than £6million of improvement works start at a key South Tyneside Council depot

South Tyneside Council has confirmed that £6.6million worth of improvement work is now underway at its key Middlefields Depot, on Heddon Way.

The Depot includes vital services such as highways construction, waste collection services, fleet and maintenance, business support, as well as the greenspace and street scene teams.

It also provides facilities for third-party organisations relating to recycling, waste transfer and materials storage.

The improvement work involves reconfiguring the site layout to operate more efficiently, as well as improving traffic flow and parking.

There will also be improvements made to the safety and security for both onsite staff and visitors to the estate, along with helping to reduce maintenance costs and energy consumption.

Modernisation improvements at the site include a new gatehouse, additional lighting and dedicated parking for all vehicles.

A new segregated external storage area of housing services, green space and fleet and improved bin storage facilities will also be installed at the Depot.

South Tyneside Council is also future-proofing the site by installing electric vehicle charging facilities for the local authority’s fleet.

Councillor Jane Carter, Deputy Leader of South Tyneside Council, with responsibility for governance, finance and corporate services, has stated that the work will improve the working environment for everyone who uses the site.

She said: “Middlefields is a key operational site accommodating a variety of Council services and external partners.

“The site has developed organically over time and has become inefficient in terms of layout and configuration.

“By providing this investment, we are delivering much-needed improvements that make better use of the land and provide a better working environment for the teams on site.

“The changes, which also include the rationalisation of buildings, will help to reduce maintenance costs and energy consumption. We continue to work closely with our partners to ensure core services continue to be delivered for our residents.”

The improvement work scheme has been designed by Howarth Litchfield and is being delivered by Hall Construction.

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Robert Hall, of Hall Construction, has expressed his delight at being able to deliver the work at Middlefields Depot.

He commented: “We are delighted to be chosen by South Tyneside Council to improve the facility at Middlefields Depot, following works we completed in 2020.

“The significant investment in the depot will create an excellent platform for the future of the Council’s services.”

South Tyneside Council has confirmed that the project is being delivered in phases to allow the site to remain operational and ensure that the businesses have access at all times.

There will be no impact to the Recycling Village, which does not form part of the project.

Work is expected to be completed in Spring 2026 and residents are reassured that there should be no change to service delivery.