South Shields car dealership Vic Young set to expand creating new jobs - with electric and wheelchair-adapted vehicles helping boost business

Vic Young hopes to open a second site to capitalise on an upsurge in electric car sales and those designed for the disabled.

He plans to transform into a sales area a car park he owns just a stone’s throw from his existing showroom on Newcastle Road, at Tyne Dock, South Shields.

The 1,300sq m site, on Hobson Way, is next to the Jennings vehicle business and sits opposite the Premier Inn hotel.

Vic Young Ltd dealership currently employs 74 people, but Mr Young believes the new development – if approved by council planners – will increase his workforce further.

He hopes the move will further strengthen his position as a leading seller of specialist electric and disability motors.

Mr Young said: “This is for an expansion of businesses – we are now the major manufacturer of electric wheelchair adapted vehicles.

“We currently use the site as an overspill car park, but there is so much passing traffic and potential.

“We’re still a little uncertain of exactly what type of vehicle we will sell from there. It could be our electric vehicles or wheelchair vehicles.

“I’m very proud of the fact that my business employs 74 people, and another six could be taken on with this second sales site.”

A planning application has gone in to South Tyneside Council.

The land currently has space for 60 cars, a figure that will be retained should expansion permission be granted.

The site also has Portakabin accommodation which will be replaced by a new office located directly opposite the entrance gates.

The office will be made of red and black panelling with black door and window frames with grey tinted glazing.

And storage containers will be moved nearer to the boundary so as not to obstruct vehicles entering and leaving.

No landscaping is proposed due to the site’s verges having been planted as part of the new £8.1million A185/A194 Arches road scheme, which was completed earlier this year.

Articulated vehicles will not be used in transportation as all cars will be driven to and from the site.