Councillors have vowed to protect and preserve a historic Darlington building destroyed by a fire. 

Firefighters tackled the blaze at the former power station control centre on Haughton Road in May 2023. 

Much of the building was destroyed, but more than a year after the incident, the future of the site remains unclear. 

The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands that Darlington Borough Council has not received any demolition orders for the building despite the smashed and boarded-up windows becoming a blight on the landscape. 

Fire at the former Bannatyne offices on Haughton Road in Darlington in 2023. Fire at the former Bannatyne offices on Haughton Road in Darlington in 2023. (Image: Stuart Boulton)

Local ward councillor Libby McCollom described the building as a key gateway into the town but warned it looks “terrible”. 

“It’s in a sorry state and it’s hard for people passing it every day,” she said. “Something needs to be done about it. We can’t leave it as it is and it just doesn’t send the right message to residents and visitors.”

The building opened in 1940 and was used by the town council when it was in charge of the electricity supply. It later converted into offices for the nearby Bannantyne gym. But in 2013, Mr Bannatyne built a new office block on the site and sold the control centre which again became derelict.

And in March 2023, police discovered a large-scale cannabis farm inside it with produce worth £1.7 million. 

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A coat-of-arms plaque, which was the emblem of the council, borough and town from 1867 to 1974, survived the blaze and can still be seen on the front of the building today. 

Park East councillor Libby McCollom and Matthew Roche have pledged to work with the council to preserve the site and have discussed placing notices on the building. 

The ownership of the building is unclear and it is not part of Historic England’s National Heritage List. It was previously on sale for £30,000.