Former Echo building surrounded by scaffolding as works continue

The ‘Priestgate Palace’ is undergoing a major refurbishment to transform the site into an adult education facility on the ground floor and office spaces above. 

While some of the interior rooms have been stripped out and gutted, plans submitted to Darlington Council earlier this year detailed how minor alterations would be made to the building’s exterior too, to facilitate replacement and additional windows. 

Pictures taken from the former Echo HQ - which the newspaper vacated in January 2023 after being sold to the authority - show how the iconic site has been surrounded by wooden boards on the ground floor and scaffolding towering above. 

Footpaths surrounding the building are expected to be closed until September 2025 while work takes place.

One of the former archive rooms in the process of being stripped out (Image: SARAH CALECOTT)

As previously reported, the scheme of work on the building was set to involve the construction of partition walls to create rooms and the revamp of the interior, which was described as being in “poor condition”. 

While the exterior of the unlisted building has been largely unchanged since it was refronted in 1933, the interior has been altered significantly over the years.

Earlier this year, The Echo reported how work on the four-storey site had uncovered entombed staircases, lost rooms and unmarked basements.

The outside of the building (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

Work has been ongoing for several months to remove asbestos, with features being uncovered also including ornate art deco columns and decorative lights. 

Rooms previously earmarked to be stripped out included the Echo’s old archives, ‘Steads’ cafe, named after former editor William Stead, and a dark room once used by photographers. 

It is thought the adult skills hub could open as soon as September 2025.

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Mark Black, chief exec of workspace firm Adavo, previously said: "The Northern Echo building is a fabulous setting, with an interesting history and great local connections.

"We are excited to have the opportunity to redevelop the space to accommodate the changing needs and demands of modern businesses; helping to bring more, better quality jobs to the area and supporting the ongoing training and development of local talent.

“We have a great design planned which will support, inspire and motivate learners, businesses and visitors, and which celebrates and preserves the building's heritage; with our sustainability ambitions reflecting the ethos of William Stead, a Victorian editor of the paper who used it as a platform to tackle political and social causes.”