Former chemicals site hits the market following occupier’s collapse

The Birtley factory of Venator was more than 100 years old

A major industrial site in County Durham is up for sale following the collapse of its former chemicals giant occupier. The former Venator site on Mary Avenue in Birtley is being marketed by property agents at Savills who say it could be regenerated.

The 16.47-acre site includes more than 203,000 sqft of buildings including former factory and logistics spaces. Savills says redevelopment of the historic site would support Gateshead Council’s Local Plan objectives that include modernisation of employment sites and delivery of sustainable economic growth.

It pointed to potential future uses as industrial, logistics, advanced manufacturing or even housing – with nearby Persimmon Homes and Linden homes developments touted as evidence of demand.

Nick Bramwell, associate director at Savills Newcastle, said: “This is a unique opportunity to purchase a brownfield site suitable to a range of uses from manufacturing and logistics to residential. The site’s location within the A1(M) corridor is a significant positive, and the wider region is already home to a number of important employers.”

The sale of the Mary Avenue works follows Venator Materials UK’s collapse into administration in October last year after a troubled period which saw extensive losses and even prompted a major shareholder to publicly criticise Venator’s board for a steep decline in the firm’s share price since it launched on the New York Stock Exchange in 2017.

More than 500 jobs were lost following the move which brought to Venator’s operations at Birtley, as well as the company’s Wynyard head office. Its manufacturing site in Greatham was sold by administrators to Chinese firm LB Group, which has European head offices in Stockton.

Venator specialised in making titanium dioxide (TiO₂) and performance additives used in paint, plastics, and other materials. The Birtley site had been operating for more than 100 years at the time of its closure.

It started in 1918 when the Ouseburn Trading Company used it for supply of raw materials to the paint industry. In 2014, it was acquired by the Huntsman Corporation – Venator’s former owner until it spun out separately.

In its listing for the site, Savills highlighted that low cost housebuilder Gleeson Homes was awarded planning consent in August 2025 for a development of 276 house on land immediately south of the former Venator site. The plans for Elizabeth Park include a mix of two, three and four bedroom family homes.

Meanwhile, Gateshead Regeneration Partnerships has also applied to develop 106 homes on land immediately east of the site. That application is still subject to a decision being made on planning permission.