Council leaders in Darlington believe that a new Education Department building will create jobs and provide a boost to trade in the North East town. It is also hoped it will prove to be the catalyst for further investment and prosperity.
Around 400 civil servants are due to move in to the four storey office, being built by local firm Willmott Dixon, upon its completion early next year. However, council bosses believe that the increase in space could allow for the creation of around 600 new jobs, thereby taking the number of workers housed in the space up to 1,000.
Furthermore it is hoped that, in the long term, the project could bring “hundreds of jobs” to Darlington
Borough Council leader, Bill Dixon, says; “This can be a real catalyst for other people to come here and stay.
“This is not just about the 400 jobs which are the jobs of today, it’s the ones in the next 20 and 30 years, which could see 1,000 people have these roles.
“This is what the town and its traders would have lost if the jobs had gone elsewhere.”
The development, built upon the site of a former car park, is expected to be water tight within weeks, allowing internal structures to be fitted on schedule. So far, it has delivered contracts to several local firms, boosting the local economy and creating jobs within a region which suffered greatly during the recession.
The decision to go ahead with the development was triggered by the need to relocate council services from Mowden Hall, after surveyors revealed that the building was in a state of disrepair. A campaign by local residents and members of the press ensured that all jobs would remain in Darlington.
Council chief executive Ada Burns praised the firms involved in the development for their work, adding; “This is not just a building project – a significant amount of this is about the benefits for the town centre.
“It puts Darlington very much on the map and makes it a very attractive place.
“This is a great location for the government to do business and we want more of this in Darlington.”
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