UP TO 700 jobs will be created in the £7m first phase development at Morton Palms business park on the edge of Darlington.

One North-East and Darlington Borough Council this week announced that City and Northern would develop the entire business park, which lies beside the A66.

The company revealed it was spending £7m on the first phase - the building of two grade A four-storey office buildings with more than 70,000sq ft of space to let. One block will offer more than 38,000sq ft with 137 car parking spaces, The second will be more than 32,000sq ft with 108 spaces.

The buildings will house up to 700 staff, with the first tenants expected to move in during summer 2004.

Morton Palms is seen as the prime new office location in the Tees Valley. It has easy access to the A1 and A19, and is close to Teesside International Airport and the main East Coast railway line.

Working with the site owners, Darlington Borough Council, One North-East has invested £2.5m in the 28-acre site.

It has provided the roads, servicing and infrastructure needed for the development of a business park with top quality buildings in an impressive landscaped environment.

Construction of phase one will begin this autumn. The offices will be built to the highest standards, featuring broadband links, air conditioning, raised floors, suspended ceilings, a stylish glass faade and atrium.

Elliott Ward of City and Northern, said: "This will be one of the most prestigious and exciting prime office locations in the North of England.

"We expect demand to be high from growing businesses located within the region and from national and international organisations that want to take advantage of a fantastic location at the best possible price.

"Our substantial investment in phase one reflects our confidence that Morton Palms will attract substantial interest once building work is underway."

Coun John Williams, leader of Darlington Borough Council, said: "The unrivalled transport and infrastructure links that we have here mean that Darlington and the Tees Valley is fast emerging as a highly desirable business location for national companies and Morton Palms will be the jewel in the crown."

Phil Hughes, board member with responsibility for regeneration at One North-East said: "This development is very welcome news for Darlington. One North-East has already invested £2.5m in developing the infrastructure of the site which, once developed fully by City and Northern, has the potential to create 1,500 jobs.

"Darlington is a key strategic location for the economy of the North-East, and I believe that the town, and the Morton Palms site in particular, will play a major part in the ongoing regeneration of the region.

"It is important that, where we have key sites like Morton Palms, their potential is fully exploited, and I am confident that the co-ordinated team approach we are taking to this will pay excellent dividends."