PLANS to redevelop an established business estate have taken a step closer after councillors approved the sale of more land. 

Members of Darlington Borough Council's cabinet rubber stamped plans to sell land at Faverdale East Business Park on Tuesday as part of a proposal to create more industrial and office spaces.

Councillors approved the sale of a further 9.6 acres of land at the business estate. 

A report from the council read: "The council now has a number of enquiries from prospective owner occupiers wanting to relocate to and/or within Darlington and basic terms are being negotiated subject to abnormal development costs and purchasers defining their exact requirements.

"External consultation will take place as part of the normal planning process. Internal consultation has raised no objections to the proposed sale."

The area has become a hive of activity for planning applications over the past few years as the council pledged to improve the image of the area. 

Proposals to redevelop the industrial estate have already been submitted to the authority including plans to create 33 industrial units.

Supermarket giant Tesco is also behind a multi-million-pound proposal to redevelop land in Faverdale.

The plans would provide a new Tesco superstore and associated petrol filing station, alongside McDonald’s, Costa Coffee and a commercial unit.

Darlington and Stockton Times:

The site has been vacant and derelict for more than a decade and its £16m redevelopment is expected to create up to 200 local jobs, including apprenticeship and career opportunities with reputable national employers.

Last August, the Northern Echo reported Lingfield Point-based real estate firm FHW Ltd had lodged an application to build 18 starter units and two offices at the site. 

As the estate provides convenient access to the A1(M) via junction 58, it has already attracted a wide variety of businesses, including those involved in the packaging, distribution and transportation sectors.

The site is surrounded by industrial development to the north and east, and immediately to the south is an ongoing application for retail use.

Agents for FHW said the development on a disused parcel of undeveloped land to south of Faverdale West which has been designated in the current Darlington Development Plan as an employment area.

The application states: “It is not considered that the use of this site for employment purposes will detrimentally impact on the amenity of the area.”

In recent years, a plan to build 40 homes on the site was refused planning permission. 

Ahead of plans to build 15 industrial units there in 2010, there several were objections lodged, citing concerns including an increase in traffic, damage to the natural habitat and noise pollution.