Member Article

Durham Passport Office set to complete Freeman’s Reach relocation

The Durham Passport Office, based at Milburngate House in the city centre, will close this friday (August 26) ahead of a relocation.

Reopening at Freeman’s Reach, the town’s new flagship city centre redevelopment district, the Office will return to trading on Tuesday August 30.

Part of the £27m development to regenerate the area, the plans have been two years in the making, when it was announced back in May 2014 that the 950 jobs would be rehoused.

The Office will share a building at Freeman’s with National Savings and Investments whilst Milburngate House will be knocked down andturned into 400 new homes complete with a development including a boutique cinema.

Janine Bonnick, North East Area Operations Manager for HM Passport Office, said: “Freemans Reach is a great asset, which will provide our team with a great working environment and open space, conducive to collaboration.

“What makes the development even more impressive, are its green credentials that have created a sustainable and future-proof building. The collaboration between HM Passport Office and the developers has been very successful and played a significant part in the building being completed on time.”

Neil McMillan, Development Director at Carillion, said: “The completion of Phase 2 of Freemans Reach is a fundamental milestone in the regeneration of Durham City’s Riverside. We are very proud to hand over the building, on time, to HM Passport Office and help maintain this essential public service’s long association with Durham City.

“Freemans Reach is part of a wider strategy to improve Durham’s Riverside and have the plans in place, subject to receiving planning consent, to embark on the regeneration of Milburngate creating a premium development that will add value to the city and become a destination of regional significance.”

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