Field studies site at Middleton-in-Teesdale to become retail and business park

PROPOSALS to convert a disused outward bounds centre that has become a village eyesore into a retail and business park have been welcomed in upper Teesdale.
The former Field Studies Centre, in Middleton-in-Teesdale, has stood empty since the county council closed it in 2013 due to a shortage of funds.
It was initially labelled an “asset of community value”, which allowed local organisations six months to put in a bid for the property. However, no offers were made.
Organisations such as Utass (Upper Teesdale Agricultural Support Services) had hoped to turn the Victorian building into a village hub for local charities and other groups.
But there was a lack of funds and the process was opened up to the rest of the market.
Now a local businessman has bought the property and aims to transform it into new office space, business premises, retail space and a single residential unit.
Planning permission is being sought for the conversion. Further details of the type of businesses that could occupy the site have not yet been revealed.
A Durham County Council spokesperson has confirmed that an undisclosed price has been agreed for the building but the sale has yet to go through.
In the planning application, agent Colling Morris said the owner, Karl Robinson, hoped to relocate his business, Fillpack, to the site.
Fillpack offers engineering services to the pharmaceutical industry.
Mr Morris said: “The former outdoor pursuits centre is an ideal building to not only house his business, but to create further opportunities for businesses and retailers to operate from.
“It is also hoped that space within the development will be made available to the
local community for various uses.”
Mr Morris said the plan was to subdivide the building’s large rooms to create a more functional layout.
A second floor is to be added internally to make better use of the space and an existing block of toilets is to be demolished to make way for new industrial units.
The proposal has been welcomed by Utass project manager Diane Spark who had initially hoped the building would be used for community purposes.
She said: “It looks quite exciting. I think the proposal for the usage is excellent and it will be brilliant for our community in terms of job creation.
“There has long been a shortage of space for business [in Middleton-in-Teesdale] and it will be bringing back what was once a beautiful building into usage.”