A national records management company is investing in its North East operations in Darlington.

Capita Records Management, which provides outsourced document and data services to public and private sector organisations, has agreed a new lease for additional warehouse space at Lingfield Point.

The move will create an additional 20% of warehouse capacity – up from 336,700 sq. ft. to almost 400,000 sq. ft. – to ensure that millions of records and documents will continue to be stored safely.

Capita also occupies 42,000 sq. ft. of office accommodation at the business park, where it has provided pensions administration services for several years. Investment in its Darlington business management and support activities, which currently see 200 people employed across both its sites, will enable Capita to step‐up operational capacity to meet demand for its services.

Lingfield Point is owned by real estate fund manager, Frogmore and offers over 1,329,000 sq ft of office and warehouse accommodation across the 85-acre site.

It is home to more than 50 different organisations including DWP, NHS, Student Loans Company and Wood Group, who have moved in to take advantage of varied accommodation and benefit from access to road, rail and air links.

Anthony May, managing director of Capita Records Management, said: “We continue to see strong demand for our record and data services, and our investment in expanding capacity at Lingfield Point will play a key role in growing our business going forward. Capita is proud to reaffirm our commitment to this region and its workforce.”

In May it was announced that 125 roles in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy will be relocating to Darlington, adding to more than 1,250 staff coming from the Treasury and Department for International Trade, as part of Government’s Northern Economic Campus.

Tim Allibone, director of asset management for Frogmore said: “Capita’s renewed commitment is testament to Lingfield Point’s great location, onsite facilities and cost‐ effective accommodation.”

David Swan, director of Mottisfont Capital, asset manager for Lingfield Point, said: “Darlington is currently attracting a great deal of attention thanks to the Northern Economic Campus which is a fantastic opportunity for the area. We continue to see considerable interest from potential tenants as demand for good quality industrial and office accommodation continues, as we ease out of lockdown and businesses begin to ramp up their operations.”

Frogmore Real Estate Partners is a UK investment manager founded in 1961 that offers a range of solutions through non‐listed funds, separate accounts, partnerships and co‐ investments. It invests on behalf of a diverse group of global clients including pension funds and family offices.

FREP acquired Lingfield Point in July 2018. It provides award-winning office and warehouse accommodation and includes a parcel of land with outline planning consent for 946 homes along with commercial, community and amenity uses.