DEVELOPERS behind plans for a long-awaited cinema complex insist the project is still on track.

Durham County Council’s planning committee gave the go-ahead for the six-screen cinema, shops, restaurants and other leisure facilities at Bishop Auckland Retail Park, in St Helen Auckland, earlier this year.

Initially developer Land Planning Partnership said work would begin in 2014 but after delays in finalising planning permission with the council, it is expected construction will now start next year.

A cinema operator and a number of retail and leisure companies are said to be in talks about taking a space in the new development.

It is estimated the scheme will create about 300 jobs.

John Goode, of Land Planning Partnership, said: “While completion of the planning permission has taken longer than envisaged, the project is still on track.

“We now have a number of leisure, restaurant and retail companies wanting to take space in the development, including a cinema operator.

“This is an exciting development, which will provide further much needed facilities to Bishop Auckland. Work on site is expected to commence in 2015.”

West Auckland councillor Rob Yorke said: “I am delighted to hear that the cinema development is still on track.

“We have witnessed how successful the other developments have been at St Helen Auckland and it's great to see this piece of the jigsaw put in place.

“This is an exciting time for Bishop Auckland with the Auckland Castle Trust ready to submit new planning applications within the next few weeks.

“We can clearly see a plan for regenerating Bishop Auckland with the culture, heritage-led regeneration in the northern end of town and the retail and leisure-led developments in the south.”

At the planning meeting in April a condition was agreed that no more than 25 per cent of the retail development should be allowed without progress on the cinema element.

It was also agreed that £294,000 of the £3,000 payable by developers as part of the deal would be spent on advisors to support local businesses, with the remaining £6,000 going to offsite ecological works.

A cinema was part of the original retail park scheme, approved in 2008, which included a Sainsbury’s superstore and Bishop Auckland Football Club’s Heritage Park ground.