PLANS to redevelop a major industrial park in a North-East town could lead to the creation of hundreds of jobs.

Lingfield Investments is to spend more than £120m on the Lingfield Point complex in McMullen Road, Darlington.

The former Paton and Baldwins wool-manufacturing factory, built in 1945, will be turned into accommodation for manufacturing, warehousing and office operations.

It is still a base for Paton and Baldwins, now known as Coats Crafts UK, as well as uPVC window manufacturer Jeld-Wen (UK), audio production, development and training specialists Circulation Recordings, and Rothman's, which makes more than 100 million cigarettes a day there.

About £16m has already been spent on initial redevelopment work at the 1.6 million sq ft site, which covers 125 acres, and was acquired by Lingfield Investments in 1998.

The huge investment will transform the complex into a modern centre for the Darlington business community over the next seven years.

The work includes:

l The conversion of Lingfield House into modern art-deco style office accommodation.

l Refurbishment of more than 400,000sq ft of warehouse space into seven separate cost-effective units.

l Refurbishment of road access and loading areas.

l Extended car parking for tenants, customers and suppliers.

l The creation of a purpose-built trailer park to service the complex.

Lingfield House is the most distinctive building within the Lingfield Point site. Restoration work has already on the 30,000sq ft building.

On completion, it will offer modern office accommodation with an art-deco style reception area. The original marble spiral staircases are also being retained.

Eddie Humphries, estate manager for Lingfield Point, said: "This is going to be a first choice location for business esmoving to the Darlington area, and jobs will obviously follow.

"We want to develop a state-of-the-art facility that will serve both existing businesses and encourage the creation of new start-up operations because the enterprise culture is very important to us."

He added: "This is a very challenging project to undertake, but we are confident that, with the expertise within the company, we can turn Lingfield Point into one of the most sought after business locations in the region."

Neil Etherington, chief executive of the Tees Valley Development Company, has welcomed news that Lingfield is to be redeveloped.

He said: "Lingfield Point offers something that we don't have anywhere else in the area. It really is a unique project and one which we fully support. It shows that there are companies that have confidence in the Tees Valley and is a great boost for the region's economy."

Circulation Recordings is one of the new businesses to move to Lingfield Point since the refurbishment got underway.

Managing director Graeme Robinson is also confident that it will turn into the success story of the Tees Valley.

He said: "Locating to Lingfield Point is one of the best business decisions we ever made. The new investment that is taking place here will ensure that the complex continues to develop into one of the primary business locations in the area."