A regional daily’s future in its home of more than 100 years has been secured after a council buyout.
Darlington Borough Council has announced the purchase of the Nothern Echo’s Priestgate home in a move that will see the newspaper remain in the building as an anchor tenant.
The Echo has been based at Priestgate since 1917 but the site has faced an uncertain future in the past decade.
As part of the council’s plan, the ground floor will be refurbished and converted into an adult learning centre using funding from the UK Government’s Towns Fund and the Tees Valley Combined Authority.
Northern Echo managing director David Coates said: “I am delighted the building will be in such safe hands and will continue to play a vital role for the community, with the Echo itself remaining at the heart of the town.”
The building was previously set to become a Debenhams store back in 2013 as part of a plan to expand the neighbouring Cornmill shopping centre.
Echo owner Newsquest agreed terms to sell the building to Cornmill owner Moorfield Developments, but the scheme fell through after the retailer went cold on the deal.
Planning permission was then granted in 2019 for a change of use at Priestgate from an office into 52 apartments, while the following year it was reported Newsquest had instructed property consultants to sell the building.
Councillor Heather Scott, leader of Darlington Borough Council, said: “The Echo building is one of our town’s most iconic buildings – up there with the clock tower and Victorian covered market in terms of being instantly recognisable to Darlington people.
“We want to breathe new life into it, while being respectful of its heritage.
“The new facility will be superb and will make a huge difference to hundreds of people across Darlington looking to learn new skills.
“We want to support local employers with the talent they need to grow, creating better skilled workforces and more jobs. This investment ticks those boxes.”