HOPES have been raised for the future of Darlington’s Binns store after it emerged the store was still significantly profitable.

As hundreds of House of Fraser staff in the region tentatively await a creditors’ meeting to decide the future of the company tomorrow, Darlington MP Jenny Chapman said she had held constructive talks with the building’s landlord at Westminster on Monday.

Ms Chapman and Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for economy and regeneration, Chris McEwan met with representatives from the pension fund which owns the building for talks – and emerged hopeful they would make "a major effort" in keeping a department store in the region.

The Northern Echo understands the store is still making up to half a million pounds in profit a year, despite House of Fraser’s decision to put it on the closure list.

And Ms Chapman said the Middle Eastern pension fund which owns the striking building on Darlington’s High Row, is committed to finding another, similar, operator.

She said: “They explained to us that the Binns branch of House of Fraser in Darlington is making good profits.

“It looks like it is only on the closure list because the owners of House of Fraser in China wish to redirect the business and they don’t feel Darlington is part of their future plans. The vote on Friday with the creditors will determine what direction it takes next.

“Whatever happens, all of that is completely out of our hands. But the fact remains is that Darlington Binns is a good business, and it ought to remain as a department store. The landlords would be very reluctant to allow it to close without trying to find another way of keeping it open.

“Really at the moment it is about the people that work there, because they must be having a torrid time.”

Cllr McEwan said: “It was a good meeting and whilst the situation is very complex and things are looking grim, I took away a feeling that these people will make a major effort to keep a department store in the building.”

He said both he and Ms Chapman would be holding further talks in the coming weeks and said it spoke of the landlord’s commitment that the fund had sent some of its more senior executives to visit the store last weekend.

House of Fraser announced earlier this month it was closing 31 of its 59 shops as part of a rescue deal. If the deal is approved tomorrow, the earmarked stores will close in early 2019.

But the retailer needs the approval of 75 per cent of its creditors to go ahead with the rescue plan.

A spokeswoman for House of Fraser said she was unable to comment on what the future would hold if the rescue plan is not approved.