THE biggest passport office in the country has opened in the North-East.

The Durham Passport office was officially opened today by Home Office minister Robert Goodwill.

The office has relocated from Milburngate House to the opposite side of the River Wear as part of a major regeneration project.

The staff of more than 1,100 has now moved to the newly built Freeman’s Reach, which was completed in April.

Counter services at the new office opened this week.

Mr Goodwill spent time looking around the new building and chatting to staff, some of whom have been working in Durham’s passport office since it opened at Milburngate House 16 years ago.

The minister for immigration said: “What I’ve seen so far is very impressive. It’s state-of-the-art, which is good news for the people who use the service and good news for the 1,100 people who used to work across the river and are now working in this building.”

It is HM Passport Office’s largest site, at more than 6,800 square metres and deals with around two million postal and online passport applications a year.

Around 35,000 customers are expected to visit the public counter each year, with another 8,000 adults applying for their first passport attending an interview.

Mr Goodwill says the Government is revisiting passport design in light of the EU referendum result.

He added: “I’m aware of a campaign to go back to blue passports which we will be looking at. We have had a number of suggestions.”

In 2013 it had been feared that the jobs of those working at Milburngate House could be under threat as the Government’s lease came to an end. A 15-year lease has been taken out at Freeman’s Reach.

Mr Goodwill said: “The fact we have taken out a 15 year lease has demonstrated our commitment to here which should reassure people.

“Durham was the last place to establish a passport office and it’s now the biggest in the country.”

The owners of Milburngate House, which is now empty, have permission to demolish the 1960s office block.

Durham County Council is due to decide on plans to replace the nine-storey building with a £150 million development.