More than 400 Department for Education (DfE) staff are now settled into their new home at Bishopsgate House in Darlington and working with us on what I believe to be the biggest public sector hub in the region.
But back in 2012 Darlington heard that the DfE was considering a move from their offices in Mowden to a site most likely outside of the borough.
The council and partners feared the loss of over 400 jobs as there was a real prospect that DfE would relocate out of the borough. A period then commenced where the DfE considered its options and the Council worked tirelessly to identify a suitable site for the DfE relocation but none were found.
The council then proposed that they would develop a building for the DfE adjoining the Town Hall, a proposal was put to the DfE. The proposal was not simply about providing a building it was about collaboration between the two public sector bodies in terms of sharing space, knowledge and experiences. The bid was successful ; the deal was agreed; the vision was in place.
It is thanks to the commitment and expertise of our Economic Regeneration team and other partners that we were able to act quickly to seize this opportunity.
The £8.5m purpose built offices were completed ahead of time and on budget and are now located at the rear of the Town Hall. As well as keeping 400 jobs in the town – we have moved them closer to the town centre. This is a huge boost to local businesses who will now benefit from more than 400 extra customers in the town centre.
We have worked with local businesses, bus companies and our own leisure services to offer a welcome pack to all DfE staff letting them know what's on offer on their new doorstep. We are now planning a series of pop-up shops in the offices to maximise the opportunity presented by these extra shoppers.
As well as the economic benefits, the chance to work more closely with DfE has been a huge benefit. A successful partnership was developed during the design and build phase and following a February relocation co-existence is now a reality and the partnership is starting to flourish.
The collaboration space in Bishopsgate House provides a shared working area, meeting rooms and break- out areas. Shared services such as post and reception are also delivering savings to both sides. Buddying and mentoring schemes offer all staff the chance to work with people from different work cultures to develop their own knowledge and skills. Socially there has been a joint Comic Relief event recently and DfE staff can also join in local volunteering schemes with Darlington Cares.
Bishopsgate House has not just changed the skyline of the town centre it has helped to shape our belief in ourselves as a can-do council. The offices are part of a number of key economic developments in the town including the National Biologics Centre, and news of a further centre being developed, Business Central, a purpose-built business start-up and support centre and an exciting cinema and leisure development.
Cllr Bill Dixon is leader Darlington BC
