TWO brothers have joined forces to develop their business ventures in a £1.2m project that could create up to 18 jobs.

CLS Dual Fuel Ltd and Cleaner Air Solutions (CASL) - owned by Gary Bowden - and Lonsdale and Bowden (L&B), owned by Sean Bowden and partner Philip Lonsdale, have bought an acre of land at Meadowfield Industrial Estate, in Durham.

The purchase of the land, from regional development agency One NorthEast, has led to the creation of a 6,500sq ft workshop and warehouse facility with integral office accommodation, and a further four industrial units covering 9,000sq ft, at a development cost of £1.2m.

CLS Dual Fuel was established in 2000 and specialises in converting petrol engine vehicles into LPG autogas dual-fuel vehicles, which can potentially reduce fuel bills by up to 50 per cent, and releases fewer harmful pollutants into the atmosphere.

The company was originally based in Bearpark, County Durham, employing 14 staff.

The recent expansion will create up to 18 jobs, from mechanics to service administrators, over the next 18 months.

Sister company CASL was established in 2004 and employs four staff. It specialises in supplying air filtration systems and solar energy panels (Solar PV) to both private and public sector companies and individual property owners.

L&B was established ten years ago in Durham City and provides residential and industrial accommodation to the Durham rental market.