THE finishing touches are being put to a multi-million pound office development that will safeguard hundreds of jobs for a North East town.

After months of construction work the Department for Education (DfE) building in Darlington town centre is now watertight and ready for fitting out ahead of the arrival of 400 staff.

Work is on schedule for the building to be handed over by contractors Wilmott Dixon in January, with DfE staff due to be transferred from their offices at Mowden Hall by the end of February.

The new milestone in the lengthy construction process, which began in December last year, has been welcomed by DfE representatives and Bill Dixon, leader of Darlington Borough Council, which agreed a deal with the government to build the office block to the rear of the town hall.

A campaign to save the jobs at Mowden Hall for Darlington was launched when the DfE announced plans to move staff to better accommodation in Newcastle in 2012.

It is hoped that retaining the jobs in Darlington – and moving them to a town centre location – will provide a boost to local traders.

Coun Dixon said: “The building process has gone remarkably well and it bodes well for the other development next door [the Feethams Leisure scheme].

“The two projects together will be a huge game changer for the town centre.

“Negotiations are in progress about how the council and the DfE will work together – we are looking for a win-win situation for both organisations but also for the whole community.”

Phil North, speaking on behalf of the DfE, said: “We are pleased with how it’s going and we are looking forward to moving across.

“We’re hoping to have everyone moved in within a month of taking over the building and we’re already planning for that moving process now.”

Staff from both the town hall and Mowden Hall will be invited to take part in tours of the new building before it is complete and handed over next year.