WORK on a major cinema and hotel development has reached a key milestone with the completion of the steel frame.

The frame for the £30m Feethams Leisure development, in Darlington, is now in place, taking the building to its full height.

The milestone was marked with a topping out ceremony, attended by developers Terrace Hill, now part of Urban&Civic Plc, and Darlington Borough Council.

Simon Hawkins, development director at Terrace Hill, said: “You can really start to see the scale and ambition of this project.

“The emerging scheme at Feethams is testament to Darlington Borough Council ambitions for this historic town.

“Terrace Hill and the wider Urban&Civic group have a strong track record of transforming commercial sites and bringing forward high quality leisure developments through good design, a local supply chain and attracting big names.

“We are proud to be delivering Feethams Darlington with an exceptional local workforce and are on target for people to be watching movies, meeting friends and enjoying great food on this very spot next spring.”

The former bus depot site will be home to a nine-screen Vue Cinema, an 80-bed Premier Inn hotel and a number of restaurants, including Nandos, Purple Pig, a Hungry Horse, Prezzo, Bella Italia and a Chinese buffet.

The development will also bring around 500 new jobs to the town and is due to open in spring next year.

Council leader, Bill Dixon, who attended the ceremony alongside the authority’s chief executive, Ada Burns, said: “It is fantastic to see the development progressing and I think people will now have an idea of just how big it will be.

“It will have a positive impact on both the night time and the day time economy. It is fantastic for Darlington as it is one of only a few such developments that are actually going ahead in the UK.

“It is great to be the person who started it and it will be nice to be the person who finishes it.”

He added: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with those who share our ambitions for our borough.

“With the recent completion of DfE offices, Business Central and the construction of the National Biologics Facility, Darlington’s skyline is being transformed, bringing opportunities and helping to shape our town.”