Treasury's northern hub 'to open by 2027'

The new building will join Feethams House as part of the Darlington Economic Campus

A completion date for a new government hub has been announced after a developer was appointed to build the site.

The Government Property Agency (GPA) has appointed Kier Group to build the Treasury building on Brunswick Street in Darlington.

Construction will start at the end of the year and is expected to be completed by 2027, the government said.

Alex Burghart, Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office, said the government's "growing presence" in Darlington would allow it to attract staff from across the north of England.

The hub will be built at the Darlington Economic Campus which also includes Feethams House and Bishopgates House.

Darlington's council leader, Labour's Stephen Harker, previously said the building would be open by 2026.

'Represent the public'

The site will be the GPA's first new-build freehold building - meaning it will own the four-storey building and the land it sits on.

Clive Anderson, from the GPA, claimed the move will create "considerable regional economic benefit as well as helping to transform the civil service to better represent the public we serve".

Once open, the building is expected to provide office space for 1,450 civil servants, bringing the total in Darlington to more than 2,300, the GPA said.

The project is being built by Kier Construction, a subsidiary of Kier Group.

"Our strong regional footprint means we will deliver the scheme through local supply chains and create employment opportunities including apprenticeships," said Stuart Togwell, Kier Construction's managing director.