Darlington
Darlington offers great quality of life and is on the doorstep of the North York Moors and Yorkshire Dales national parks, the North Pennines area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is just over an hour’s drive from the glorious Lake District.
Darlington has long provided a strategic location for manufacturing and trade, earning a reputation for ingenuity – from the birth of the railways through to its role as a modern business hub.
It was a hugely exciting time for the town when it was announced that the Treasury North campus, and civil servants from the key departments of Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy, International Trade and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, were locating here.
As well as 750 direct jobs, the campus will attract a range of supporting functions sure to generate further opportunities for the town.
In addition, the decision to grant freeport status to Teesside and much of the Tees Valley is forecast to create up to 18,000 skilled jobs within five years, boost the local; economy by £3.4bn, and support a range of manufacturing sectors.
The area is also acclaimed for its innovative role in the renewables sector, hydrogen technology and carbon capture, technologies that will be pivotal as the UK transitions towards achieving a net zero economy.
In 2020, Darlington was ranked 11th in Britain’s top 25 places to work, based on the opportunities available, cost of living and job satisfaction levels, according to recruitment website, Glassdoor.
It is home to several strategic sectors, including advanced manufacturing and engineering, digital, construction, logistics, professional and business services, health, and public services.
The town has a working population of 65,000, with 25 per cent educated to degree standard, and a choice of five North East universities.
It benefits from first class transport links, to the A1M, A19 and TransPennine A66. Situated on the East Coast Main Line, it is just 6.5 miles from Teesside International Airport, and 43 miles from Newcastle International Airport.