BrewDog welcomes update on Durham City Milburngate

The £55 million acquisition plan aims to end years of stalled deals, safety concerns, and frustrations from companies that have spent millions preparing for a launch that never happened.

The move would see the council take control of the freehold, working directly with stakeholders to ensure that long-planned venues—including BrewDog, Premier Inn, and Everyman Cinema—can finally open.

Milburngate in January 2025 (Image: STUART BOULTON) BrewDog, whose bar has stood empty for over two years, has been one of the most vocal critics of the drawn-out process.

In a fresh statement this week, the brewery giant welcomed any action that could bring an end to the impasse, saying: The Milburngate site has been trapped in limbo for far too long, and so we welcome any potential developments that would facilitate its progress – which would be hugely beneficial for all involved, not least the general public.

"We are very eager to bring BrewDog to Durham, and we can move quickly if and when we get the green light.”

For BrewDog, this development is long overdue.

The company has repeatedly voiced its frustration over what it previously described as “never-ending bureaucratic red tape”, after investing more than £1 million into its Milburngate venue—only to see the project grind to a halt.

The Milburngate site, once hailed as a flagship regeneration project, was initially set to open by the end of 2022.

Milburngate during the start phase of its construction in 2021 (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) A high-profile visit from Sir Keir Starmer in May 2021 saw the now-Prime Minister praise the project’s ambition, with developers at the time assuring him that construction would be completed by January 2022.

However, a series of setbacks—including the collapse of construction firm Tolent in 2023, fire safety concerns, and delays in signing off key agreements—meant that businesses remained locked out.

More than three years since Starmer’s visit, Milburngate is still sealed off behind security fencing, despite being fully fitted out for businesses to operate. Signs, furniture, and interiors at BrewDog, Premier Inn, and Everyman Cinema are complete, yet no customers have ever set foot inside.

Milburngate with safety fences in 2023 (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) As a result, BrewDog has become increasingly outspoken, calling for the council and developers to cut through the delays and allow businesses to open.

While the craft beer company has remained committed to launching in Durham, it has grown increasingly impatient, with sources inside the firm suggesting that further delays could force them to reconsider.

The political fallout from Milburngate’s stalled progress has deepened, with both Labour and the ruling Liberal Democrat-led administration trading blame.

Labour’s Councillor Carl Marshall, leader of the opposition, accused the Joint Administration (made up of the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, and Independents) of letting the development sit “as a shameful monument to complacency and failure.”

“When Labour lost control of the council, we handed over a positively progressing, prime city centre development", he said. 

The BrewDog bar at Milburngate (Image: NORTHERN ECHO) "The fact that it remains empty years later is a disgrace.”

However, Council Leader Amanda Hopgood (Lib Dem) dismissed Labour’s claims, stating that the issues stem from decisions made when Labour controlled the authority.

Cllr Hopgood said: “The situation at Milburngate was a result of disastrous actions taken by Labour.

"The current administration has worked diligently to find a way forward that does not burden taxpayers with a huge bill.”

Amid the political wrangling, City of Durham MP Mary Kelly Foy (Labour) has also questioned whether the council can afford the move, especially as residents face a council tax increase.

“The public deserves clarity on why the council is moving to buy the site now, how much they have ring-fenced for it, and how they plan to finish it.”

If approved, the council’s acquisition of the site could mark a turning point, allowing businesses to finally open and restoring confidence in the project.

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The council has stated that should negotiations proceed, it would work with developers, businesses, and stakeholders to ensure Milburngate is completed and operational as soon as possible.

For BrewDog and other tenants, that can’t happen soon enough.

The craft beer giant has already lost years of potential business in Durham, and with every delay, the cost of inaction continues to rise.

For now, all eyes are on next week’s council meeting, where the fate of Milburngate—and the businesses waiting inside it—will finally be decided.