A great place to work – with an exciting future

Jun 12 2007 By The Journal

Lingfield Point Business Park is not just about state-of-the-art business premises. The site is also developing other services to ensure that occupiers have the very best facilities close to hand.

Just Deli is a stylish bistro at the heart of the site, which has a relaxed lounge-style seating area. Alternatively, on warm days, customers can use the continental-style seating on the outdoor terrace.

As well as providing a contemporary eaterie, Just Deli offers corporate catering, ideal for a formal or informal working meal.

Throughout the Lingfield Point Business Park, there are now a range of picnic areas. In the summer months, occupiers can take advantage of the relaxed outdoor settings for a lunchtime break, or as an alternative meeting room or workspace.

Work has recently started on Lingfield Point's nursery, which is expected to open shortly. `Little Lingfields' will be able to cater for up to 43 children, including nine babies and 12 children aged between two and three.

The nursery will be open to anyone looking for high-quality care for their young children, and is expected to attract interest both from parents working at the Lingfield Point site, and families living in the surrounding area.

Lingfield Point has been a keen supporter of Darlington's `Town On The Move' scheme, which was launched to increase the number of people walking, cycling and using public transport.

Working closely with the project team, Lingfield Point launched a `Bike Club' and has a range of bikes available for hire, enabling workers to take a gentle ride around the leafy estate or make use of a lunch hour by cycling to local amenities.

The Bike Club is part of Lingfield Point's `Green Travel Plan' and the site will soon launch a range of fitness trails around the 107-acre site. The paths will enable workers and local residents to enjoy fresh air and exercise in a natural environment - whether they choose to walk, jog or cycle.

The Green Travel Plan forms a vital part of the future plans for the Lingfield Point site.

Marchday, owner of Lingfield Point, has recently launched a consultation process asking local people to share their views on the regeneration of the site in the next 10 to 15 years. Marchday aims to create a flagship, mixed-use, regeneration scheme which will include low energy offices, light industrial space, eco-homes and leisure facilities, combined with sustainable transport links. The development of eco-homes within the site aims to reduce car journeys by giving workers the option of living within walking distance of their work.

The proposals are likely to include the regeneration of a number of existing buildings including The Powerhouse (the original boiler house and turbine hall) and the Soap Dock. By mixing uses on site, Marchday hopes to be able to justify the installing of a Combined Heat and Power (CHP) plant as well as the use of green technologies such as wind and solar power, and rainwater harvesting.

John Orchard, director of Marchday, said: "When originally developed by Patons and Baldwins, the Lingfield Point site included the wool factory, rail links, its own power station, reservoir, a restaurant and theatre as well as housing for the workforce.

"It is vital that we create new facilities which will be used by the local community. Planning is at an early stage and we value the public input and feedback. Our vision will only become a reality if local residents and workers like the ideas. I hope the process will throw up some new ideas we haven't thought of."

* To find out more about the planned redevelopment of the Lingfield Point site into a flagship regeneration scheme for North-East England and to have your say, visit the website and complete the online questionnaire at www.lingfieldpointvision.co.uk