What is Gateway?
The Darlington Gateway is part of an economic and spatial strategy that builds on the Borough's location as the gateway to the Tees Valley and North East England to deliver economic investment and employment. The current Darlington Gateway Strategy has played a major part in the delivery of schemes such as Morton Palms and Central Park.
Taking Forward the Darlington Gateway
This study will provide an evidence base to build on and advance the existing Darlington Gateway Strategy to continue economic growth and investment within the Borough. The document below, which can be viewed or downloaded, updates and takes forward the 2003 gateway study work
BDP report December 2006 [PDF document, 2.89MB]
Darlington Gateway Development Framework 2003 [PDF document, 500kb]
Darlington Borough Council’s Economic Regeneration team with the joint involvement of Planning Services, and assistance of the Tees Valley Partnership, have commissioned consultants to undertake this work. The programme of work, along with a paper outlining the anticipated scope of the strategy, can be viewed or downloaded here:
Darlington Gateway Study: Tender Submission [PDF document]
Darlington Gateway Study: Scope of the Strategy [PDF document]
The main strands of work to be undertaken are:
- Strand A – Darlington Gateway Assessment
- Strand B – Sectoral Opportunities Study
- Strand C – Employment Land Study
- Strand D – Darlington Gateway Strategy
- Completion – July 2006
This study will provide recommendations and costed action plans for the Council to consider, providing a basis to implement major economic regeneration and investment projects over the next five to ten years.
It will produce vital evidence to inform the emerging planning framework currently focused on the Core Strategy, and in considering future employment sites. It will amongst other things investigate the potential for action to regenerate run down or ageing employment areas that could be implemented through production of local, area action plans.
Sustainability Appraisal / Strategic Environmental Assessment
Darlington Borough Council have determined that an appraisal of the sustainability and environmental effects of the strategy should be undertaken in accordance with "The Environmental Assessment of Plans and Programmes Regulations 2004". Guidance on the sustainability appraisal process can be found on the website of the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) [external link]
The appraisal process is intended to establish sustainable objectives for the strategy, ensure the effects accord with those objectives and the principles of sustainability and where negative effects are identified lead to measures for mitigation of those effects. A scoping report establishing the level of detail this appraisal will go to and setting the outline of the final Environmental Report has been produced and is available to view or download here:
Darlington Gateway Study: Scoping Report [PDF document, 300kb]