JOBS are being created at a former glass factory which has been given a new lease of life.

Originally purchased in 2014 by Prospect Estates Ltd, the former 7.7-acre Saint Gobain Glass Factory on Greenfield Industrial Estate, Bishop Auckland, has undergone a major overhaul.

The factory had recently been let on a temporary basis, but has now been refurbished and has welcomed its first new tenant following the completion of the works.

County Durham Fabrication has taken a 9,300 ft² industrial unit. The company, which employs five staff, with plans to take on a sixth in the near future, has re-located from Tursdale in County Durham.

The company was established approximately 18 months ago and is a structural steel fabricator, working for clients including QUE Steel and Monkbridge Construction.

Robbie Parker, works manager, said: “We were on a site twice as large as we needed at Tursdale, so moving to Bishop Auckland makes us more efficient, secures the jobs of the existing workforce and allows us to prepare to take on another employee in the near future.”