Office quicksteps to completion

May 2 2008 by Chris Knox, The Journal

BUILDER Rok has completed the final phase of offices on the site of a dance hall which thrived in the 1950s and 1960s.

The firm, which employs about 300 people in the North East, has been working on the 100,000sqft Beehive project since 2004, with the third and final phase providing two office suites on three floors.

Previous phases have seen seven organisations move into the building, including Darlington Borough Council’s Estates Division, FaulknerBrowns Architects and Swiis Foster Care, with 250 workers at the site. It is part of Lingfield Point business park in Darlington, which will include low- energy homes and business space, a hotel, leisure and community facilities, all to be built over 15 years.

Plans will be submitted in the next couple of months by property developer Marchday to complete the regeneration of the 107-acre brownfield site, which it acquired 10 years ago.

Rok project manager Darren Hirst said: “This project has been built on the foundations of a growing relationship with Lingfield Point and Marchday, which stretches back to the beginning of Rok’s time in the North East.

“Our directly employed team on Lingfield Point have become part of life on the business park and we are looking forward to continuing our part in the revitalisation of this key Tees Valley site.”

Other Rok work in progress includes an £800,000 extension at Bannatyne’s Health Club in Darlington, the £411,000 refurbishment of Bebside Special Care Home in Blyth and a £1.1m ground for Ashington AFC.