A GOVERNMENT minister said she has been inspired by a new multi-million pound facility which will create hundreds of new jobs in a North-East town.

Conservative MP Penny Mordaunt , Minister for Local Growth, visited the region today (Thursday, November 20) to sign the £190m Tees Valley Growth deal package, which aims to revitalise local economies.

It is part of a £12bn Government programme and will create up to 1,000 jobs for the region.

During her time in the North-East, she visited the Business Central (formerly the Business Growth Hub) at Darlington’s Central Park Enterprise Zone, which is expected to house more than 60 new and small businesses when operating at full capacity, as well as providing 350 jobs.

Before laying an engraved paving stone to mark her visit, Ms Mordaunt said: “You can’t help but be amazed and inspired by the vision here and also the speed in which people are working and the enthusiasm they have shown for it.

“It is going to be such an amazing resource not just for the local economy in terms of creating a better quality of life and providing more jobs, but it will be such a wonderful resource for the nation.”

Managed by Darlington Borough Council and operated by the North-East Business Innovation Centre, the development will house a range of sectors, including digital enterprise, biologics and advanced engineering.

Funding for the £6.6m project, which is a short walk from Darlington Railway Station, has come from the European Regional Development Fund and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

Bill Dixon, leader of Darlington Borough Council, said: “It provides everything that we said the site could bring. Before people were asking will it work, why is it here, but as it is coming out of the ground people can see it is going to be significant.

“Between these buildings represents at least 50 per cent of the future economic investment of this town.”

Work began on the site in March and is expected to be completed in April next year.

The council’s chief executive, Ada Burns, said: “It is a really exciting time for Darlington town centre and the economy. Looking at Central Park, it is really starting to come together.”

Naz Parkar, executive director at the HCA in the North-East, added: “This is a fantastic example of a successful emerging place – it has got jobs, housing and education.”