MORE than 800 jobs will be created after an agreement was signed to bring a major new import centre to Teesside.

PD Ports (PDP) today announced it has reached an agreement with Tesco to create the centre at Teesport.

The 1.2 million square foot centre will be located on 66 acres of PDP's land at Teesport. The centre will create more than 800 new direct jobs over the next two years and also new jobs among suppliers and logistics companies serving the centre.

PD Ports' recently approved outline plans for the import centre include car parking spaces for 450 staff as well as lorry parking spaces for 350 vehicles.

The complex will be built to Tesco's design on brownfield land that is currently undeveloped within PDP's 700 acre Tees Dock estate.

This signifies another major investment at Teesport and will create several hundred construction jobs during the two year build programme.

"We are delighted to have signed a deal with the leading UK retailer Tesco to create another major import centre at Tees Dock. With this agreement now in place we are hoping to see construction start in July with the first part of the new import centre operational by autumn 2009," commented David Robinson, Group Chief Executive Officer of PD Ports.