PLANS have been announced for the new £6m headquarters of Tyne Tees Television.

North-East commercial property specialist City and Northern is the company behind the Gateshead development.

The headquarters will be at The Watermark business park, next to the MetroCentre.

The building is 30,600sq ft - Tyne Tees is leasing the first two floors, a total of 20,400sq ft.

The £6m fit-out of the two floors has begun and will see the incorporation of studio facilities, edit suites and offices. Completion is scheduled for May.

City and Northern said the site had been chosen because of good transport links to Newcastle city centre, as well as to Newcastle Airport.

DTZ acted on behalf of City and Northern in closing the Tyne Tees deal, with Sanderson Weatherall acting for the TV company.

Robert Muckle Solicitors handled the legal aspects of the deal for the developer.

City and Northern managing director Elliott Ward said: "The arrival of Tyne Tees at The Watermark is a great boost for everybody who has been involved in making this a highly successful development.

"The building Tyne Tees has chosen is being fitted out to a very high specification and we look forward to welcoming the company and its staff next year."

Tyne Tees' managing director Graeme Thompson said: "This is a major investment by ITV in the region.

"The prospect of moving from our old site to a production centre designed for the 21st Century is very exciting.

"The Watermark had all the attributes we were looking for in selecting a site for the new building, not least its terrific location on the banks of the Tyne."

When complete, towards the end of next year, The Watermark, which has been constructed by Mowlem, will have a total of 200,000sq ft of office accommodation.

Tenants already moved in to the business park include Lambert Laidlaw, Helen McArdle Care, GMS, Russell Telecom, and architects Ian Belsham Associates.