The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has decided not to call in St Martins Property Group's outline planning application for a£45 million extension to the Queen Street retail and leisure complex in Darlington.
The proposed town centre development would be anchored by an 85,000 sq ft (7,900 sq m) department store, alongside 25 smaller units, a 26,000 sq ft (2,415 sq m) leisure area and an 800 space multi-storey car park connecting to the centre via a bridge link.
The existing Queen Street Shopping Centre - also owned by St Martins - will be refurbished to coincide with the development.
St Martins development director Lindsey Robinson said: 'Darlington, like many other town centres in the UK, suffers from a lack of units that meet modern retailers' needs. The town is losing trade to regional shopping centres because of this situation.
'Our proposed scheme will attract new retail offers, which are not represented at the moment, into the town centre and entice lapsed shoppers back to Darlington.'
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