Concerns over delayed Milburngate Durham site from city’s MP
The site was intended to deliver 153 built-to-rent apartments, office space and a leisure complex featuring a Premier Inn, Everyman Cinema and BrewDog pub, but the project has been repeatedly delayed and shrouded in controversy. It was due to open in 2022.
The collapse of contractor Tolent in 2023 brought progress at the Milburngate development to an abrupt halt. Since then, ongoing fire safety concerns and alleged defects in the steel framework have prompted further investigations, leaving the site without the necessary certifications to open and still cordoned off.
Mary Kelly Foy says the development, along with the city’s planned Stack on Silver Street, is “seemingly permanently paused”, after seeing limited progress.
Durham County Council has insisted that talks with the funder remain ongoing regarding Milburngate and said an update will be available “shortly”.
The council’s previous administration agreed to enter negotiations to potentially acquire the site.
But the new Reform UK administration said in September it was ‘reviewing its position’ on several projects.
Ms Foy raised the delays in Parliament last week after growing increasingly frustrated at the lack of progress, describing Milburngate as a “white elephant”.
And she has now doubled down on her comments, telling The Northern Echo: “For too long, we have had major developments seemingly permanently paused in Durham, such as Stack in the city centre, with no information from either the developer or Durham County Council about what they are doing to drive this forward.
“Instead, there is rumour and hearsay, and occasional cryptic comments on social media about the local authority finally getting its act together on the Milburngate site, and little to nothing said about Stack .
“These developments stand empty and create the wrong impression of our city.”
The MP has also written to Durham County Council leader, Cllr Andrew Husband, to ask how the council plans to deal with the unfinished developments.
In her letter, Ms Foy said: “As I am sure you appreciate, I am regularly contacted by constituents who raise these stalled developments with me, who would, at the very least, like an update as to when work will begin again.
“All previous administrations of the council recognised that no elected representative operates in a silo and arranged regular meetings with the Cabinet for us to ask questions, raise issues and receive information that would either be helpful for us to know, or to take back to the Government.
“At the very least, it is a courtesy that has been sadly missed recently.
“I would therefore urge you to outline clearly what steps the local authority can and will take to move these sites forward, and once again introduce regular meetings between MPs and the Cabinet, so we can all work to make a difference for the people we represent.”
In response to the concerns raised by Ms Foy, the council has said that it is looking to progress the site as soon as possible.
Tony Hanson, Durham County Councilβs corporate director of regeneration, economy and growth, said: βWe understand that people are keen for the Milburngate development to progress for the benefit of all those who live, work in, or visit our city centre.
βDiscussions with Milburngateβs funder continue, and we understand the funder is expecting to make a decision shortly regarding the developmentβs completion.”