HOPES that hundreds of jobs will be created in the region have been boosted after a drugs firm’s plans for a multi-million pound expansion were approved.

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) submitted £94million plans to Durham County Council to expand their Barnard Castle plant which will see it create a new pharmaceutical manufacturing facility and associated works.

The plans include designs to fit equipment used for producing vials and syringes of liquid-based products which would be predominantly used by hospitals to treat diseases including HIV, cancer, lupus and respiratory disease.

The new building will be on part of the existing site, in Harmire Road, which was home to the firm’s first manufacturing and packaging suite when it launched in the 1940s.

The firm, which employs more than 1,000 people across the region, said the move should create new posts, but has not yet confirmed any specific numbers.

Even in their infancy, the plans have always been backed by residents, businesses and councillors and at the County Durham Planning Committee yesterday; councillors unanimously voted in favour of the application in a matter of minutes.

Planning officers told the committee there had been no objections to the "significant investment" which would develop "new skills and secure jobs".

Sitting on the committee, County Durham Councillor for Barnard Castle East George Richardson immediately moved to vote in favour of the application.

Speaking after the meeting he said: "It will create jobs and investment – it's the majority employer within Teesdale and it's an enclosed site with made it an easy decision. It can only be a good thing."

Durham County Councillor for Barnard Castle East, James Rowlandson, said he hoped at least 200 jobs would be created.

"It will benefit Teesdale tremendously and it's nice to see a big employer like that continue to expand and putting faith in the people that are around this area," he said. "With the construction and other types of jobs I imagine it will be at least 200 jobs but it can only do good for the area."

MP for Bishop Auckland, Helen Goodman, also welcomed the news.

She said: “I warmly welcome the news that the GlaxoSmithKline site has received planning approval for its expansion.

"This is a fantastic development for the local area and will secure hundreds of jobs.”

A GSK spokesman said: “We are pleased with this decision. Barnard Castle is one of GSK’s biggest secondary manufacturing sites, employing 1,100 people.

"The site supplies nearly half a million packs of products per day to 140 global markets.

"The plans approved today pave the way for GSK’s £92million investment at the site which will fund the construction of an aseptic sterile facility supporting the manufacture of existing and new biopharmaceutical assets in our pipeline.”

The first phase is expected to begin in June 2017.