[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"authority-darlington":3},{"authority":4,"scoredCount":14,"pillars":15,"ranks":55,"averages":63,"peers":66,"rankLine":76,"countyIsDistinct":21,"content":77,"contentMeta":109,"dataFrom":112,"dataTo":113,"dataChangedAt":114},{"slug":5,"name":6,"county":7,"regionName":8,"region":9,"councilName":10,"activeCompanies":11,"score":12,"halfRange":13},"darlington","Darlington","Durham","North East","north-east","Darlington Council",5009,957,17,361,[16,27,36,45],{"key":17,"name":18,"colourVar":19,"compositeWeight":20,"shown":21,"score":22,"halfRange":23,"rank":24,"rankOf":14,"outperforms":25,"topPercent":26},"innovation","Innovation","--pillar-innovation",0.3,true,938,23,299,17.2,100,{"key":28,"name":29,"colourVar":30,"compositeWeight":20,"shown":21,"score":31,"halfRange":32,"rank":33,"rankOf":34,"outperforms":35,"topPercent":26},"scaling","Scaling","--pillar-scaling",969,31,297,360,17.5,{"key":37,"name":38,"colourVar":39,"compositeWeight":20,"shown":21,"score":40,"halfRange":41,"rank":42,"rankOf":34,"outperforms":43,"topPercent":44},"investment","Investment","--pillar-investment",950,36,156,56.7,50,{"key":46,"name":47,"colourVar":48,"compositeWeight":49,"shown":21,"score":50,"halfRange":51,"rank":52,"rankOf":14,"outperforms":53,"topPercent":54},"esg","ESG","--pillar-esg",0.1,1000,25,216,40.2,75,{"national":56,"region":57,"county":60},263,{"rank":58,"of":59},10,12,{"rank":61,"of":62},2,3,{"county":64,"region":65},982,994,[67,71,72],{"slug":68,"name":69,"score":65,"isCurrent":70},"county-durham","County Durham",false,{"slug":5,"name":6,"score":12,"isCurrent":21},{"slug":73,"name":74,"score":75,"isCurrent":70},"hartlepool","Hartlepool",947,"263rd of 361 authorities nationally",{"heroSummary":78,"intro":79,"pillarCommentary":83,"compareSummary":88,"faqs":89,"metaDescription":108},"Darlington scores 957 on the UK Local Growth Index, placing it 263rd of 361 local authorities and 43 points below the UK benchmark. Its relative strength lies in Investment, where it outperforms more than half of all authorities. Innovation is the weakest pillar, sitting 62 points below the UK benchmark.",[80,81,82],"The composite score combines four pillars: Innovation, Scaling, Investment and ESG, weighted at 30%, 30%, 30% and 10% respectively.","Each score is an average across active companies in the area, with corporate groups counted once. That makes it possible to compare Darlington fairly with much larger or smaller authorities, because the score reflects how active local companies are rather than how big the local economy is.","The UK as a whole scores 1,000, so Darlington's 957 places it below the national benchmark across the mix of companies active here. Every score also comes with a likely range, showing how much it could move with a slightly different mix of companies; a score is only published when that range is narrow enough to rely on.",{"innovation":84,"scaling":85,"investment":86,"esg":87},"Innovation captures the presence of granted patent families, university spinouts, R&D grant values, and activity in innovative and IS-8 sectors. Darlington ranks 299th of 361 authorities on this pillar, scoring 938 and sitting 62 points below the UK benchmark, outperforming only 17.2% of authorities. This signals that companies here show relatively limited engagement with the activities the pillar tracks.","The Scaling pillar measures scaleup status, headcount growth and accelerator attendance. Darlington ranks 297th of 360 authorities, with a score of 969, placing it 31 points below the UK benchmark. While that gap is smaller than on Innovation, it still indicates that companies here are adding staff and reaching scaleup status at a below-average rate nationally.","Investment covers equity raising activity, amounts raised and first-time equity raisers, all over the last five years. At 156th of 360 authorities, this is Darlington's strongest pillar, outperforming 56.7% of authorities. Even so, the score of 950 remains 50 points below the UK benchmark, suggesting meaningful equity activity relative to peers in its county and region, though still below the national level.","The ESG pillar draws on signals including clean energy activity, other green activity, environmental accolades, social and governance indicators, and a not-for-profit proxy. Darlington scores 1,000 on ESG, level with the UK benchmark, ranking 216th of 361 authorities. This means local companies, on balance, match the national picture on these measures.","The chart below shows how Darlington's composite score of 957 compares with its neighbours across Durham and the North East.",[90,93,96,99,102,105],{"question":91,"answer":92},"What is Darlington's UK Local Growth Index score?","Darlington scores 957 on the UK Local Growth Index, placing it 263rd of 361 local authorities. That puts it 43 points below the UK benchmark of 1,000.",{"question":94,"answer":95},"How does Darlington compare with the rest of Durham?","Darlington ranks 2nd of 3 local authorities in Durham and scores 25 points below the county's score of 982.",{"question":97,"answer":98},"How does Darlington compare with the North East region?","Darlington ranks 10th of 12 local authorities in the North East and sits 37 points below the regional score of 994.",{"question":100,"answer":101},"Which pillar is Darlington's strongest?","Investment is Darlington's strongest pillar, ranking 156th of 360 authorities and outperforming 56.7% of local authorities. It measures equity raising activity, amounts raised and first-time equity raisers over the last five years.",{"question":103,"answer":104},"Where does Darlington rank on Innovation?","Darlington ranks 299th of 361 authorities on Innovation, scoring 938 and sitting 62 points below the UK benchmark. Innovation covers granted patent families, university spinouts, R&D grant values and activity in innovative and IS-8 sectors.",{"question":106,"answer":107},"How many companies are counted in Darlington's score?","The index covers 5,009 active companies in Darlington, with corporate groups counted once rather than as individual registered entities.","Darlington scores 957 on the UK Local Growth Index, ranking 263rd of 361 authorities and 43 points below the UK benchmark of 1,000.",{"source":110,"cached":21,"generatedAt":111},"claude:claude-sonnet-4-6","2026-10-20 10:59:07",2021,2026,"2026-10-20"]