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Categories: General

Lingfield Point supports ‘BUY LOCAL’ »

Lingfield Point provides office space in Darlington to over 50 businesses employing over 1800 employees from around the area and is actively encouraging businesses to back the town-wide ‘BUY LOCAL’ Scheme when it launches on Wednesday at its first EXPO exhibition. 

Lingfield Point also practices what it preaches…. its main suppliers and partners come from around Darlington confirming we ‘BUY LOCAL’ where we can.

With its award-winning office space home to some of the most significant businesses in the North East including Student Loans Company, Capita, FaulknerBrowns, Four Seasons Health Care, NFU Mutual, NAAFI and Recognition PR – this rallying call across the business park will certainly encourage support.

Now, thanks to the recently launched, unique space, YARN, Lingfield Point is now also home to an ever-increasing entrepreneurial group of companies that thrive in the innovative support network available in Darlington.  ‘BUY LOCAL’ could really help these new neighbours become established in the local economy

John Orchard, director of owning company, Marchday group plc, says  “Darlington’s business environment is not just a collection of companies in the same location; it’s a dynamic community working to support each other -  nurturing our entrepreneurial spirit and protecting the vitality of the local economy.

Buy local sums up the difference that Darlington can offer business. A great local network of like-minded professionals willing to help you sustain your business and your employees.”  

From small incubator units in Lingfield House to the unique, creative space of YARN with space ranging from 260sqft to single 100,000 sqft floor plates, Lingfield Point can offer you inspirational business space to suit your needs.

Great location, easy access with plenty of car parking and a new on site bus service that can take you straight into Darlington town centre in less than 10 minutes is now a great ‘BUY LOCAL’ bonus.

Visitors feel the place has a real soul due to reusing dramatic buildings with an obvious former life.  This ‘soul’ and unsurpassed customer service combine to foster a real community spirit and culture.   The result is lingfield life -  a friendly neighbourhood with personality, social heart, flexible business facilities and a customer focused approach, designed to help your business thrive.

Lingfield Point is delighted  is delighted to support this innovative way of getting to know your neighbour in Darlington – it echos our own sentiments.

But don’t just take our word for it – pick up the phone on 01325 486486 or come and visit and don’t forget -  buy local.

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Categories: General

Lingfield Point supports Darlington’s Foundation for Jobs »

We were delighted to host the launch of Darlington’s Foundation for Jobs at Meadow at Lingfield Point and fully support the Bishop of Durham’s rallying call for North East businesses to help create a future for young people.

A great Darlington initiative

The Right Reverend Justin Welby has become patron of this initiative and has taking the opportunity to call for business leaders, educationalists and attendees to boost the job prospects of the under 25s.

John Orchard, director of Lingfield Point, said, “This is a fantastic initiative and one of the things we have found by teaming up with Darlington College – which runs an apprenticeship scheme – is that some of our companies have a need for more new entrants.  Some companies have had a problem recruiting people that were business ready so we set up a partnership with the college to ensure our companies could get business-ready candidates”.

Darlington Foundation for Jobs will establish formal links between schools and employers; provide internships; increase the number of apprentices and encourage young entrepreneurs whilst showcasing young job-seekers and Lingfield Point has pledged its moral support to this town-wide initiative.

So how can you help….?  Want to pledge support; create school links, internships or even apprenticeships or become involved in the Darlington Foundation for Jobs? Contact Seth.pearson@darlington.gov.uk to pledge your support. 

Let’s give our young people the opportunity of a future.

 

 

 

 

 

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Categories: General

Hop on to our new bus service – Lingfield Point to Darlington town centre and beyond »

We’re over the moon to welcome the bus 1/1b to Lingfield Point.  Starting on 3 January, this regular half hour service will call at three stops around our 107 acre business park and will be able to serve our 1800 customers working here.

Our new bus service - 1/1b

Part funded by Department of Transport, this joint initiative between Darlington Borough Council and Arriva means Lingfield Point is one of the most accessible business parks in the North East thanks to the additional buses that also pass the main entrance to our park.  We’re proud of the fact that this now gives us an unrivalled service every 10 MINUTES into Darlington.

The service also offers great value to customers living on the outskirts of Darlington as the extended bus service calls at Cockerton, Heighington, Bishop Auckland, Crook and Tow Law.

You’ll be able to find more information on this fantastic new service by clicking on the about section within this website and then clicking on public transport where downloads of background information and even a timetable is available for download.

When we hear that a weekly out of town ticket costs only £25.50 and that if we all switched to just one journey in 25 from car to bus, there would be one billion fewer car journeys made on our roads!

So what are you waiting for … Hop on a bus!

 

 

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Categories: General

A great plug for our new bus service »

Arriva bus drivers and employees from Student Finance England and NAAFI at Lingfield Point helped launch the new bus link, service 1/1b by introducing a new hybrid vehicle to a 3ft wide electrical plug.

Welcoming our new bus service to Lingfield Point

We’re over the moon to welcome the new hybrid buses soon to be trialled on the extended bus service 1/1b with its new terminus of Lingfield Point. Stopping at three locations around Lingfield Point, this new service will take you into town every 30 minutes.  This, in addition to the regular service running past Lingfield Point, means our neighbourhood is one of the best served, most accessible business parks in the region.

Local bus company Arriva North East will be trialling a new hybrid vehicle on the newly extended 1,1b service from this January.  The current route runs from Tow Law, Crook and Bishop Auckland to Darlington Town Centre and  from 2 January will be extended to Lingfield Point via Darlington College/University, funded by the Department for Transport through the Local Sustainable Transport Fund.

The bus being trialled on the route is a state-of-the-art vehicle which is powered using an electric engine. If the trial proves a success the company will take delivery of 7 new hybrid vehicles in the summer of 2012.

The investment comes following a partnership between Arriva North East and ourselves working with Team Local Motion to champion even more environmentally-friendly means of transport being available to the people of Darlington.

Nigel Featham, Managing Director for Arriva North East, said: “The extension of the service will ensure that we continue to improve our customers’ journey experience, and the testing of the hybrid vehicle is another real benefit for the area. We know that value for money and reliability are very important to our customers, however more and more we are hearing that the environment is another key consideration.”

Councillor David Lyonette, Darlington Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport said ” The Department of Transport funding will benefit people locally and regionally by providing improved access to education as the route now extends past Darlington College and the University, and to jobs at Lingfield Point too, which will assist future economic development. I’m delighted Team Local Motion has been able to secure this development.”

We think it’s great news that this service is being extended to include our community. It is important that our site is well-served by buses, with over 1,800 staff based at Lingfield Point, and a great deal of them living in and around Darlington,  it will certainly make the choice to travel to work by bus far easier.

For Lingfield Point to be served by hybrid buses is very appropriate as it fits perfectly with our ethos of sustainability – and the vision of our masterplan – setting out to make Lingfield Point one of the most environmentally-friendly developments in the UK .

So don’t forget your new year’s resolution … hop on our new bus service …. you’d be surprised how easy it really is!

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Categories: General

Looking forward to a cracker of a night »

One of the region’s favourite annual Christmas events returns again this year. The St Teresa’s Christmas Cracker Concert will be held on Saturday 17th December at Meadow, Lingfield Point, and is set to go off with a bang!

Looking forward to the contents of 2011 Christmas Cracker

Principally sponsored by Darlington Operatic Society, and helmed by acclaimed musical director John Forsyth with the ‘St Teresa’ Sinfonia Choir & Orchestra, the Christmas Cracker will feature musical ensembles, schools, choral and operatic groups from across the region.

Among the acts gearing up to ‘sleigh’ audiences are the Darlington Choral Society, the Cleveland Philharmonic Choir Tees Valley Voices, the Tees Valley Youth Choir, the Locomotion and the Cockerton Ladies Choir. With so many talented performers, the concert is shaping up to be anything but a silent night!

Tickets cost £8.50 for adults and £6.00 for children,

and are available from St Teresa’s Hospice and its Darlington retail shops,

or by calling Supporter Services on 01325 254321.

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Categories: General

Our world in winter – Life at Lingfield »

We’re always conscious of ever-changing weather conditions and the past two years have certainly tested the British spirit.

This year, Lingfield Point’s preparations have been in hand for some time with an established local contractor now responsible for the gritting and snow clearance of roads, car parking and approaches to warehousing and main pavements.

We’ve also invested in additional grit bins, shovels and telescopic snow shovels to help keep our roads and pavements safe with our concierge keeping their eyes peeled for those shady areas that the sunshine never reaches.   Feel free to use any of our grit bins and shovels if you notice slippery areas around our business park – you’ll certainly be playing your part in keeping our community safe.

We’re fully supportive of the Highway Agency’s winter campaign – make time for winter http://www.highways.gov.uk/knowledge/333.aspx

We think 20 is plenty when driving around Lingfield Point in the Summer so please, please slow down and make time when driving in difficult conditions. 

Although we will take every step to keep you safe – from a health and safety perspective– you also have a personal responsibility to keep yourself safe.  We advise you keep a watchful eye on how you travel – whether that’s walking; cycling or driving.  Don’t forget about appropriate footwear too – good grip make a real difference at times like this!

The AA have also produced a handy little guide to keeping you safe whilst travelling this winter and can be found at http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/seasonal/winter-checklist.html

 

A winter emergency kit for the car is essential during our this season and could include :

  • Blanket, warm winter coat/reflective jacket, scarf, hat and gloves with sturdy boots
  • Shovel & bits of carpet/think cardboard to place under driven wheels to help regain traction
  • Salt, sand, or even cat litter (!)– to help clear snow and ice
  • Ice scraper and de-icer
  • Torch and batteries
  • Snow chains (if you live in a remote or rural area)
  • Battery jump leads & tow rope
  • Bottled water & extra screen wash
  • Snacks – chocolate always saves the day in my car!

Don’t forget that we’ve also got a fantastic public transport network in and around Darlington – so if the car is not doing as it’s told this winter, why not look at other ways of travelling here …. It’s easier than you think! Log on to www.dothelocalmotion.co.uk for your own personalised travel plan!

Most importantly, remember, 20 is plenty and take your time this winter!

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Categories: General

Thinking of Someone Special – Our Giving Tree for St Teresa’s Hospice »

After the fabulous night of fund-raising with St Teresa’s Strictly Silver Annual Ball recently – with over £10,000 collected during the evening – festivities are now in hand to celebrate Christmas with our local charitable partner.

Our  partnership with St Teresa’s Hospice grows stronger and support continues with the launch of our ‘Giving to Life’ Christmas promotion. 

Dig deep as local charities continue to struggle

You’ll find Christmas trees in both Lingfield House and Beehive where you can write a very special message or remember a loved one on a Christmas card bauble to hang on our trees.  For a suggested donation of just £2 you can leave your message,  receive a lapel badge and help make a difference to St Teresa’s Hospice.

We’re also looking forward to the return of St Teresa’s Christmas Cracker on the 17th December – now in its 11th year – under the magical steer of musical director John Forsyth and St Teresa Sinfonia Choir and Orchestra.

St Teresa's Christmas Cracker - an uplifting event

Our events programme with St Teresa’s Hospice gets bigger and better every year and with the ever-increasing promotions from our on site cafe – canteen by Alexander MacMurrary – mean that our 1800+ customers and visitors always find something to enjoy here.

So dig deep and join us either with a bauble (or two) for our Christmas trees

or the magical Christmas Cracker concert in Meadow on 17 December

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Categories: General

Wayne Hemingway speaks his mind! »

Wayne Hemingway in the affordable apartments he designed for key workers in Manchester. Photo: Don McPhee.

Owners of Lingfield Point,  Marchday, are  big fans of the Fashion Trendsetter turned Community Guru Wayne Hemingway. We’re really impressed by the special qualities Wayne’s company Hemingwaydesign brought to the Taylor Wimpey scheme, Staiths Southbank in Gateshead.

Space for people to get together.

The scheme reminded us of much of the good stuff we saw in Malmo, Sweden earlier this year where the design of the space for community interaction between the buildings is given equal importance to the design of the buildings themselves.

We share many values in relation to creating communities, regeneration and design and read with interest Wayne’s recent comments about successful communities in The Guardian.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/housing-network/2011/sep/27/people-decent-housing-successful-communities?INTCMP=SRCH

We’re excited about creating the first new homes at Lingfield Point next year and making real the sustainable mixed community around our existing business community. We hope Mr Hemingway would approve of our plans!

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Sunny outlook for our latest customer at Lingfield Point »

We’re pleased to welcome a whole host of new customers here at Lingfield Point including space one company’s drive to expand their business.

AEL Systems, which installs, maintains and designs electrical, fire safety and security products have now moved to Lingfield Point.

Eddie welcomes one of our latest customers - AEL

Lee Willis, 38 from Darlington, started the company in 2002 and says the move to Lingfield Point has given him the business space he needs to expand the company into solar energy. A field he has been keen to move in to for a while.

Lee said: “Lingfield Point is ideal for us. Not only is it cost effective but it meets the business needs.

“Before moving here we only had office space. Now we’ve got enough office space to run the business efficiently but also warehousing space to store our products, as well as train our team of electricians.”

AEL Systems has leased a space at Lingfield Point which combines 1,000sqft office suite and a 1,000sqft of warehousing. The combination of office and industrial space has meant that the company can expand.

Lee said: “We have invested in providing renewable energy systems to the domestic and commercial market. Now we are in the process of completing all the necessary training to achieve accreditation.

“The warehouse facility will be invaluable for this, meaning we can do our own in-house training.”

AEL Systems currently employs 15 members of staff, four office based and 11 field engineers and electricians. The growth into solar panel installation will see the company employ an additional four electricians.

Eddie Humphries, estate manager at Lingfield Point said: “We always work with our customers to ensure we can provide precisely what they need. This is the beauty of Lingfield Point. We have the variety of buildings, the vision and the scope to create bespoke business spaces.

“Lee has combined an office suite with warehousing to store products and train his team. We are thrilled that the move has enabled him to move in to a new area of the business and will always be on hand to help him out however we can. ”

For more information on how Lingfield Point can help with your office and warehousing needs, just call us on 01325 486486.

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Plans now on show for exciting new phase of development at Lingfield Point »

Marchday, owners of Lingfield Point, welcomed Taylor Wimpey and leading architects, John R Paley Associates to canteen where plans for the first phase of residential development have been unveiled.

Exciting new homes proposed at Lingfield Point

Plans for the development of 270 homes in the first phase of the exciting £100million masterplan have now gone on show at Lingfield Point.  This first phase of homes will form part of 1,200 homes, sports facilities, a school, health services and plenty of green space for the local community to enjoy.

John Orchard, director of Marchday, said “This is the first phase of making the masterplan happen and it’s really exciting.  We want the new homes to be family-friendly and to use the lessons learned from some of the best housing schemes in Europe. Most people agree that we’ve created some outstanding office buildings at Lingfield Point, now we intend to create some truly outstanding homes too.”

Andrew Paley, from the team of architects supporting Taylor Wimpey said that the development team had visited similar projects in places as far away as Malmo in Sweden for design and inspiration.  The team want space between the homes to be as important as the buildings and added “This is not just a housing estate – the neighbourhood deserves its own character and we looked across Europe to see how we could improve life at home and build it into the plans at Lingfield Point.

“Its not often that the developer is involved in a scheme where design is such a high priority; it’s very exciting to be part it” said Andrew.

We couldn’t agree more!

To see plans for the first phase of our new neighbourhood, pop into canteen at Lingfield Point where plans are on show until 3 August or log onto www.jrpassoc.co.uk to view and comment.

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