Green light for office plan near government hub
Darlington Borough CouncilPlans to bring a 50,000 sq ft office development to a town centre have been given the go-ahead.
The new development will be built on East Street, opposite the new Darlington Government Hub on Brunswick Street, which is under construction.
The plan was given cabinet approval for funding before it is considered for planning permission by Darlington Council.
Councillor Chris McEwan, cabinet member for economy, said it was an "exciting" time for the town with a new office building and government hub "springing up within yards of one another", as part of a new commercial quarter.
The land south of East Street has been cleared and ready for work to begin.
Once completed, the new building will have 500 workspaces.
It will both complement and capitalise on the government's investment in the government hub less than 100m away, the council said.
'High-quality jobs'
The hub is a five-storey office project which started in January and is scheduled to open in early 2028.
It will eventually house more than 1,600 civil servants and nine government departments, as the permanent home of the Darlington Economic Campus.
McEwan said there was an increasing demand from private sector professional and financial services "keen" to move nearer to the hub and it made "absolute sense" to use the empty space on East Street.
The council's development partner for the project is regeneration specialists, Cityheart.
The firm's development director, James Litherland, said the project would provide "much needed high-quality jobs".
He also said the views of residents and businesses would be sought.
