The Milburngate development in Durham remains unfinished(Image: Iain Buist/Newcastle Chronicle)

Photos show £120m Milburngate development standing unfinished two years after it was meant to open

The £120m Milburngate development in Durham city centre was expected to create more than 1,000 jobs but sits unfinished

by · ChronicleLive

Metal barriers surround a multimillion pound development in the heart of Durham that was meant to be opened by the end of 2022.

The Milburngate development at Durham has been hailed as one of the region’s biggest schemes in a decade, creating office space for 400 jobs, as well as new homes, bars and restaurants, a cinema and a hotel on the city’s riverside. But completion of the £120m development was delayed at the start of last year – weeks before planned openings for a Premier Inn, BrewDog bar and Everyman Cinema – when main contractor Tolent collapsed into administration.

Plans for the Milburngate Scheme were first unveiled eight years ago, becoming possible following the demolition of the city’s former passport office. The scheme was originally driven by Durham-based property developer Arlington Real Estate, Carillion and the Richardson family, but Arlington later acquired Carillion’s stake following the support services firm’s collapse.

Several leisure tenants booked in for the first phase, including boutique cinema company Everyman, restaurant brands Marston’s Pitcher & Piano, Bar + Block, Miller and Carter and a 92-bed flagship Premier Inn hotel. The Botanist also announced plans to open a bar and restaurant at the site.

Developers said the scheme would create more than 1,000 new jobs while also enhancing the leisure, business and residential opportunities in the area.

A spokesperson for the developer said: “Dialogue is ongoing between the parties. Various options are being considered in order to seek resolution to the deadlock and allow us to move forward and complete this important development for the city.”

A spokesperson for Durham County Council said: “Milburngate is an important development and, while the council does not own it, we are continuing to work with the funder and developer towards the safe opening of the site for the benefit of residents, our city, county and local economy as soon as is possible.”

The site remains locked up(Image: Iain Buist/Newcastle Chronicle)
Barriers surrounded the multimillion pound development that has been hit with delays(Image: Iain Buist/Newcastle Chronicle)
The project was hailed one of the North East biggest developments in a decade(Image: Iain Buist/Newcastle Chronicle)
Around 1,000 jobs were expected to be created(Image: Iain Buist/Newcastle Chronicle)