The redevelopment of a regional daily’s historic headquarters is set to cost £11m, it has been revealed.

Darlington Borough Council has outlined further details as part of a plan to refurbish Priestgate, home to the Northern Echo until February last year.

The Echo moved out of Priestgate, where it had been based since 1917, for a new base at Coniscliffe House, on Coniscliffe Road, Darlington.

The council took over the running of Priestgate, pictured, last year after buying the building for £925,000 through Towns Fund and Tees Valley Combined Authority Indigenous Growth Fund investment.

A new adult skills hub, in partnership with Darlington College, will be built on the ground floor with the remaining upper floors refurbished into office space for businesses.

Council papers seen by the Echo have revealed an “experienced and imaginative” development partner has now been identified to design, redevelop and repurpose the site.

Once complete, the unidentified partner will also operate, manage and maintain the entire building.

The overall budget for the project, which is set to take 18 months to complete, is predicted to be £11,359,360.74.

It was reported at the time of the council’s purchase that the Echo’s future at the premises had been secured, with the newspaper remaining there as an “anchor tenant”.

It is understood that the Echo still hopes to return to Priestgate once the refurbishment work is completed.