A NORTH-East authority has agreed to invest up to £11m to develop the first stage of the scheme it hopes will boost the economic prospects of County Durham.

Durham County Council is going to move forward with proposals to develop the first phase of a business park on its land at Aykley Heads.

It hopes the park will create up to 6,000 jobs when completed. The second phase includes bulldozing County Hall and the council moving to new headquarters, which the authority wants to build in Durham city centre.

At a meeting yesterday, cabinet members approved the start of the development of the site, as well as funding for the first building, which will be built next to Atom Bank.

It agreed to invest in the region of £5m to £11m, depending on the size of office accommodation brought forward. It is hoped the first phase of the scheme will create between 600 and 1,300 jobs. Council leader councillor Simon Henig described the decision as a milestone.

He said: “We don’t need to remind people about the economic context and the decline of the previous industry which employed tens of thousands of people.

“We are left a legacy that means in economic measures County Durham is operating at just over 60 per cent of the national average.

“It falls to us to do everything we can to move the economy forward.

“I think we would not be doing our duty if we didn’t take the opportunity on this site to move County Durham forward so we can boost the economy and we can provide jobs for our children, so they don’t leave County Durham because that’s what they think they need to do to find employment.”

Cllr Carl Marshall added: “We know we need to create not just jobs but better jobs. As a council we should be doing everything we can to address the issues we know exist. This is an opportunity to show leadership and ambition, not just for County Durham but for the whole region.”

Cllr John Shuttleworth questioned the proposal to move the council’s headquarters away from Aykley Heads and warned it could become a situation similar to that in Northumberland, which ended up axing its plans to move from Morpeth to Ashington.

He said: “People in here have got to realise people out there are not comfortable with spending that much money to move to the city centre.”

Cllr Alan Napier said: “This council is leading the way and thinking outside the box to bring new jobs to County Durham.

“This is about jobs, investment and the economy. I believe this is the best strategic site in the North. Northumberland County Council was going to knock that building down for houses. We are going to clear this site to create 6,000 jobs.”