A SOCIAL housing group is to build an environmentally-minded head office.

Derwentside Homes has been granted planning permission for the £3.3m eco-office in County Durham. The building will be at Greencroft, near Annfield Plain, Stanley, and will span 24,000sq ft over two floors.

It has been designed by North- East architects Browne Smith Baker (BSB), which designed the nearby £6.8m Tanfield Lea Business Centre.

Geraldine Wilcox, chief executive of Derwentside Homes, described the building as a "flagship development".

She said: "Our new eco-friendly head office will be a milestone for Derwentside Homes.

"By bringing all our staff and services together under one roof, we will be able to improve efficiencies and access to services for our customers.

"As a forward-thinking company, we believe we should lead the way in supporting the region's green agenda, and with the support of BSB, we believe we will deliver not only a great place to work and visit but a building with exceptional green credentials."

The environmentally-friendly features of the building include ground source heat pumps, green roofs and recycled paper insulation.

The building will be heated and cooled by passing hot and cold air through the hollow concrete floor.

Russell Edwards, associate director at BSB, said: "BSB is passionate about pushing the green agenda forward and helping to achieve the country's sustainable energy targets.

"This is a significant development in the area and paves the way for further eco-developments of its type.

"We have worked with Derwentside Homes before and were pleased to be able to work with them again on this innovative project."

The design consists of two wings set around a central core, which will contain a coffee bar, reception and conference facilities.

The area surrounding the development will be landscaped and include a pond feature.

Work on the offices is expected to start next month and take about a year to complete.

BSB, which has North-East offices in Darlington and Newcastle, recently started work on the Tanfield Lea Business Centre, which has an unusual fan-shaped design, and will provide 40,000sq ft of offices and workshops.

Derwentside Homes was established in 2006 when tenants of Derwentside District Council voted in favour of transferring the housing stock to a registered social landlord. The company owns and manages about 7,000 properties in the area.