DPD opens new purpose-built distribution centre in County Durham

The UK premium parcel delivery company, DPD, has opened a new 63,000 sq ft distribution centre (DC) at Forrest Park, near Darlington, County Durham.

Part of a multimillion-pound investment announcement in March last year, the purpose-built state-of-the-art DC will significantly increase DPD’s capacity in the North East to meet the ongoing demand for the firm’s services.

The new hub – located adjacent to Junction 59 of the A1(M) – has the potential to create up to 250 additional roles as DPD expands its operations in the region.

The fully automated sortation facility will be capable of processing up to 50,000 parcels a day. With a plan to accommodate over 100 new delivery driver routes the operation has the capacity to carry on growing for a number of years.

Developed to BREEAM Excellent standards, the facility reflects DPD’s commitment to sustainable development and long-term environmental performance.

Justin Pegg, DPD UK CEO commented, “I’m delighted to see our brand-new Darlington DC open on schedule as we head towards our busiest time of the year. We are planning for a record Black Friday and Christmas peak period this year and our network of over 80 distribution centres is absolutely key to the campaign. This is an ongoing programme and we have consistently invested in building brand new DCs for the last 15 years. As a result, the majority of our network is made up of purpose-built facilities with the automation and the capacity we need to run a premium national seven day a week, next day delivery service, helping to ensure we always meet the demand for our services and exceed our customers’ expectations.”

In March 2025 DPD confirmed the plan to build seven brand new, purpose-built DCs in the following two years. Darlington joins new, similar sites in Crawley and Sittingbourne, which opened earlier this year. In July, Tritax Park Queens’ Cambridge was confirmed as the site for the fourth 63,000 sq ft purpose-built DC.

Details on all of DPD’s sustainability initiatives can be found on its dedicated website.