Land acquired for proposed Darlington station

Plans for the redevelopment of Darlington station have been boosted by compulsory land purchase proceedings.The plans, backed by £25M of funding from the Tees Valley mayor and Combined Authority, will see a new platform, entrance, station building and upgrades to its transport links.A compulsory purchase order was progressed by Darlington Borough Council for parcels of land to the east and west of the station, with a public inquiry held virtually in January ahead of the result.The Planning Inspectorate has now ruled that all the land in question can be brought into public ownership.Planning permission was granted for both the new eastern and western entrances of the station at the end of last year, following the submission of plans in June.The redevelopment will create three new platforms on the east side of the existing station to accommodate current and future services, a new station building and a footbridge linking the new platforms and building with the existing station.An upgrade to the Victoria Road entrance and car park, pick up and drop off points on the western side of the station is planned, alongside new road layouts, wider pavements and improvements to walking and cycling access to make the station easier to reach.