DARLINGTON NEWS
Floristry software firm poised to bloom after £ 175k award
‘ UK FIRST ’ CONTROL ROOM LAUNCHES AFTER £ 24M INVESTMENT
A
Darlington company that is pioneering the next generation of subsea robotics has commissioned its control room , the culmination of a £ 24m investment programme .
Modus welcomed secretary of state for international trade Anne-Marie Trevelyan and Darlington MP Peter Gibson to officially open the control centre at its headquarters . Modus has developed the application of fully automated , low cost , carbon-zero inspection and maintenance services using subsea hybrid autonomous underwater vehicles ( HAUVs ) to map underwater topography and inspect pipelines , cabling and undersea structures .
These hybrid vehicles combine the characteristics of a remotely operated vehicle ( ROV ), which is linked to the surface , and an autonomous underwater vehicle ( AUV ), which can operate without
such a link . The vehicles can be deployed internationally and operated from the Darlington control room .
The investment includes four HAUVs , two of which are already in service , with the third and fourth to be delivered this October and in mid-2023 respectively .
Ms Trevelyan – pictured with Mr Gibson and Modus CEO Nick Tompkins – was invited to pilot one of the vehicles around the port of Sunderland via remote connection .
She said : “ It ’ s been fantastic to have the chance to discover the extraordinary work in underwater drone technology that Modus has been leading on . I want to make sure that it ’ s heard around the world : ‘ Made in Darlington , sold to the world ’.
“ This is where the new technology started and it will be central to the UK ’ s leadership in underwater technology in the decades ahead .”
A company specialising in software for florists is set to blossom further after a £ 175,000 investment .
Florisoft – trading as Darlingtonbased Strelitzia Software Ltd – provides software that manages the running of floristry businesses .
Strelitzia is owned and run by husband and wife Mark and Sally Bennett and their daughters , who were keen to find and develop a technology tool after taking over the family business , Flowers by Nattrass .
The investment from NPIF – FW Capital Debt Finance – part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund – has safeguarded seven jobs and will create eight more .
The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund project is supported financially by the European Union .
Tees schemes to benefit from £ 310m transport fund
A raft of transformative transport projects across the region funded through the £ 310m secured from the government to invest in local transport priorities has been detailed .
Stations across every borough will receive a share of £ 86.5m , with investments in Darlington , Eaglescliffe , Middlesbrough , Redcar and Billingham .
The bus network will get a £ 40m boost and there will be further investment in the region ’ s roads , with £ 82.9m passed on to local highways authorities .
Active travel routes to encourage more walking and cycling will benefit from a £ 46.2m injection , with 12 routes across all five boroughs earmarked for upgrades .
WORK STARTS ON 14 NEW BUSINESS ZONE UNITS
Work has started on the construction of 14 new business units for SMEs in one of Darlington ’ s fastest-growing economic districts .
Commercial property developer Priority Space is behind the £ 2.7m speculative development at Yarm Road industrial estate and business park .
It will be built by Darlington-based Wharton Construction and completion is expected in late August .
Leader of Darlington Council Heather Scott OBE was invited to the official groundbreaking on the site , which lies within the town ’ s Eastern Growth Zone .
Priority Space ’ s development will transform the 1.4 acres of vacant land on Barrington Way into 21,559 square feet of new industrial and warehousing workspace .
CAFÉ EXPANDS NEXT DOOR TO OFFER TAKEAWAY SERVICE
A café has bounced back post- Covid by extending its business .
Hatch Luncheonette , which is based in Blackwellgate , Darlington , and run by Jasmin and Phil Robson , became a takeaway business during the pandemic lockdowns and restrictions .
Once it was able to welcome customers back inside , the premises often became congested , as its takeaways were still proving popular .
To meet demand and ease space pressure , the couple have taken over and converted premises next door into Hatch To Go , which is open seven days a week .
The conversion , at a former health supplements shop , was carried out by Wharton Construction .
The voice of business in the Tees region | 153