This is when you'll be able to apply for a Treasury job in Darlington

Chancellor Rishi Sunak confirmed in the Budget earlier this month that 750 Government officials would be relocating to Darlington with the establishment of a new Treasury North campus.

Following the announcement, Mr Sunak confirmed in an interview with the Echo that “key decision makers” would be based in Darlington, and that local people would be able to apply for some of the vacancies.

Officials from the business, trade and local government departments will be on the campus.

READ MORE: First 300 Treasury workers to move to Darlington within a year as major businesses set to relocate

The Echo understands a dedicated recruitment process to hire people from across the region will begin in the next couple of months, and local people are encouraged to apply by Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen and Cllr Heather Scott, leader of Darlington Borough Council.

Mr Sunak said: “There are going to be key decision makers here, this is not going to be some outpost or back office.

“It is going to be a fully integrated part of the Treasury and all the other economic departments as well.

“First and foremost, I am going to be there and other ministers as well, and that’s the way that people should realise that this is important to us.

“The Treasury is full of really, really talented people who are incredibly smart and hard working and we are reliant on being able to attract people like that to work for us, and Darlington is situated between the universities of Teesside, Durham, York and Newcastle – fantastic universities with fantastic economics programmes, all commutable, so we’ll have great access to talent.

“And it is a wonderful place to live, whether it’s the cost of living, a flat in central London compared to a four bedroomed house here, or the schools that are excellent – we’ve done a lot of work for civil servants with young families to ensure the quality of schooling in the area is really good.

“I’m biased, we’ve got the North York Moors, the Whitby coast, think of everything that is on your doorstep, this is a fantastic place to live and bring up a family.

“It’s brilliantly accessible whether from the airport or the train station, you can get everywhere you need to go. With the National Infrastructure Bank an hour down the road in Leeds, you put all of that together and I am incredibly excited for the Treasury and for Darlington.”

Tees Valley Mayor, Ben Houchen said: "It’s a great opportunity to have Treasury at the heart of Darlington but it is also a great opportunity for local jobs.

“We will be recruiting people and we will be working with Treasury to make sure that we prioritise local people to be recruited into those jobs. In the coming weeks and months ahead, there will need to be a recruitment process within the region to make sure local people get those jobs because there will be plenty of opportunities for local people as the transition takes place.

“With the Treasury on our doorstep and senior civil servants living here, our children will grow up with the confidence that a top government job is within reach and that such a top career can be built right here in our great region.

“The hard decision has now been made, now we must make Treasury North a reality. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity than cannot be undone.”