Darlington revival consortium assembled
The council has appointed developer Cityheart, contractor Willmott Dixon, Space Architects, and Identity Consult to its regeneration team, which will focus its efforts on East Street, Commercial Street, and Kendrew Street.
The partnership will now identify development opportunities and agree on a long-term regeneration scheme for these areas, before presenting a plan to Darlington Council’s cabinet early next year.
Positioned next to the new £118m Treasury offices within Darlington’s Economic Campus, the East Street site will look to capitalise on the recent government investment in the town.
Kier recently broke ground on the offices, which are set to open in 2028 and are being delivered by the Government Property Agency.
James Litherland senior development manager at Cityheart said: “Darlington town centre has huge potential which has been bolstered by the relocation of the Treasury and other government departments within the new Economic Campus.
“We have pulled together an exemplar North East team including construction partner Willmott Dixon and we cannot wait to get started on this transformational project.”
Nick Corrigan, North East director at Willmott Dixon, commented: “Having worked closely with Darlington Borough Council on multiple successful projects, we understand the town’s potential and are committed to delivering development that truly benefits the local community.”
Cllr Chris McEwan, cabinet member for economy at Darlington Borough Council, said: “This is a huge step forward for our town in terms of
regenerating areas which we know are ripe for development and improvement, and an exciting time for Darlington as a whole.
“Make no mistake, this has the potential to be one of the biggest and most exciting improvement projects our town centre has seen for many years.”
