BUSINESS services organisation Capita is moving 400 staff to renovated premises at the Lingfield Point business complex.

The move is one of the biggest office lettings in Darlington, with 50,000sq ft of warehousing transformed to provide the latest in open-plan office space, ideal for the call centre staff which will make up much of the Capita workforce.

Capita will transfer its call centre, administration and distribution operations, currently working in the town's Government-owned Mowden Hall building, to the McMullen Road site in August.

The deal also paves the way for further expansion within Darlington.

Capita has scope to increase the space it occupies to incorporate a further 75,000sq ft in adjoining property, with much more available on the estate.

Capita is the second national firm to announce it is moving to Lingfield Point this year, following the announcement last month of the letting of 12,500sq ft of office space to Four Seasons Healthcare.

Lingfield Point Estates Manager, Eddie Humphries said: "Letting 50,000 sq ft of office space to Capita is a mark of the way Lingfield Point has blossomed since it was bought by the Marchday Group in the 1990s.

"With the continued growth of the call centre market in the region, demand for such office space is still on the increase and the conversion of this warehousing demonstrates how Lingfield Point can adapt to meet today's business needs."

Phil Sewards, director of Capita's Central Government Services, said: "The new centre at Lingfield Point will complement our two existing sites in the area, but will have the added benefit of providing room for expansion.

"Darlington is an attractive location for us because it offers a strong workforce with a varied skill base."