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Fieldon Bridge Retail Park is a major retail and leisure park in Bishop Auckland, developed by Prestige Car Direct Properties Ltd. The 160,000 sq. ft site comprises 20 retail units housing several of the UK’s largest brands, including Home Bargains and The Range, alongside a cinema, 14-lane bowling alley, gym, and various restaurants.
Last Mile was chosen to provide the substantial electrical and water infrastructure needed to attract and support its diverse commercial tenants. This included two new substations totalling 2.5MVA, one landlord connection for an EV charging hub, 20 electricity connections for units with load requirements ranging from 55kVA to 370kVA, and 20 water connections. Many of the tenants had already committed before construction was complete, making timely delivery critical to avoiding costly delays or repercussions.
As tenants signed agreements, however, many needed specific requirements different from the original design specifications. This required Last Mile to adapt its designs midway through the project and navigate new rounds of approvals with the distribution network operator (DNO), Northern Power Grid.
The site’s location also presented a substantial challenge. The most suitable point of connection was on a busy four-way junction, requiring 600 metres of off-site high-voltage cabling and 100 metres of high-performance polyethylene water piping to cross the main access road to the nearby town.
Last Mile designed and built the full multi-utility infrastructure, including high-voltage and low-voltage electrical networks, water mains and services, fire hydrants, wash outs, and all ancillary equipment. The team worked closely with Northern Power Grid and Northumbrian Water to coordinate installations, energisation, and water adoption, while also consulting with the local Fire and Rescue Service on safety provisions. Providing a single point of contact, Last Mile ensured smooth coordination across the different utilities, simplifying and streamlining the process for the developer throughout.
To meet the tight deadlines while minimising disruption to the busy bypass, much of the complex off-site engineering works were completed at night, with Last Mile’s engineers managing the operational complexity of night working. In addition, the project manager held multiple detailed meetings with the local highway authority to negotiate the necessary permits associated with working in a busy bypass.
To avoid any delays caused by mid-construction design changes, Last Mile worked flexibly, re-focusing its work on unaffected areas while redesigns for other sections were submitted and approved. This flexibility prevented significant delays and kept the project progressing.
Thanks to Last Mile’s end-to-end delivery and multi-utility offer, the complexities and risks of this large development were minimised. And despite the challenges, Last Mile completed the utilities infrastructure on schedule, allowing the retail park’s new tenants to move in on time and as planned.
Last Mile provided the client with flexible payment terms and asset value rebates helping to redress construction costs as the project progressed. Adoption of all electrical infrastructure by Last Mile Asset Management, ensured a smooth end-to-end process and robust asset management with maximum benefit to the developer.
This project was completed by Energetics, which was fully integrated into the existing Last Mile group in March 2026. While the company name has been rebranded to Last Mile, the team, expertise, safety and commitment to quality service remain the same.
