DEVELOPERS say they are extremely pleased with progress on a £110m business park next to Durham Tees- Valley Airport and have begun marketing it to wouldbe tenants.

Peel Holdings, which is behind the Skylink International Business Park, said planning permission was now in place for the project, which could create up to 2,000 jobs.

However, it was unclear last night whether a fresh application had recently been heard by councillors on the local planning authority, Stockton Borough Council.

Outline planning permission was already in place for the land in question to the south of the airport, but detailed plans for the development still required further approval.

The park is being built on 250 acres of brownfield land and will be used for airport businesses and freight companies.

As part of the plans, a new roundabout and access road onto the A67, near the Darlington- Stockton railway line, bridge, will be created.

There have been fears the park – being developed in conjunction with Tees Valley Regeneration, One North-East and English Partnerships – could overload already congested roads in the area.

Meanwhile, nearby Middleton St George Parish Council said it was concerned the park could include business units not strictly related to airport use.

Its chairman, Doris Jones, said she had heard nothing about detailed permission being granted, while a spokeswoman for Stockton council could not verify the claim.

In its announcement yesterday, Peel, which owns Durham-Tees Valley Airport, said work on the development was on course to start later this year. It said detailed design work for the infrastructure on the business park was progressing well and marketing for the scheme had begun.

Plans for the business park were first unveiled in March.

It will offer more than two million sq ft of business space.

Roger Wheeldon, senior development surveyor at Peel, said: “We are extremely pleased with the progress being made at Skylink International Business Park.

“We aim to start on site this year and are looking forward to attracting key occupiers to the Tees Valley region.”