Aycliffe Monthly | Page 14

4 REVIEW 2014 REVIEW 2014 REVIEW 2014 REVIEW 2014 REVIEW 2014 REVIEW 2014 REVIEW 2014 REVIEW 2014 REVIEW 2014 REV JANUARY • iPad con merchant Kirsty Cox is jailed for two years at Teesside Crown Court for her £450,000 scam in 2012, but is later released after serving just a few weeks. • Aycliffe-based subsea technology firm Tekmar Energy celebrates hat-trick of contract wins to further boost its impressive growth. • A man dies after an accident on the A68 at Burtree Gate, near the A1, when the pedal cyclist died at the scene. the 2013 event. • Thugs target a Freelander Discovery with a petrol bomb in Skipton Close, while two other cars – a Mini and a Qashqai – also caught fire in dramatic Sunday night scenes. • Aycliffe firm Ebac is named Manufacturer of the Year at the North East Business Awards, while new kids on the block Emerald Biogas won Best Newcomer. • Durham County Council announce plans to start charging for the collection of garden waste from 2015. • The local authority reveals its County Plan - a blueprint for the future which includes 2,000 new homes for Aycliffe and the development of 123 hectares of potential employment land on Aycliffe Business Park. Cartwright opens hair extensions studio, Lox of Love. • Aycliffe Today exclusively reveals that the troubled Woodham Golf Club is sold to an unnamed investor. • Hitachi hosts a special ceremony on its site as 2,000 tonnes of steel begins to change the landscape forever on Aycliffe Business Park. • Teenage thug Lewis Gash is jailed for four years after being found guilty of wounding with intent during an incident outside DL5. JUNE • Aycliffe’s market looks doomed after traders snub an offer to relocate it to the Greenwell Road car park. APRIL • Family-run steel company Finley Structures is awarded a multimillion pound deal to construct Hitachi Rail Europe’s train-building factory. • Aycliffe Business Park Community celebrates its first birthday with a special event at the Xcel Centre. FEBRUARY • Newton Aycliffe police hunt a suspected hit and run driver after a man was knocked over by a vehicle on Horndale Avenue, adjacent to Permoids, on Aycliffe Business Park. • Stiller Warehousing and Distribution announces the £700,000 investment in a new multi-use building on its huge site as part of the group’s longterm growth plans to create employment. • “One-man crime-wave” Lee Morris, as he's dubbed by police, is locked up for nearly two-and-a-half years after failing to heed warnings after previous offences. MARCH • Woodham Golf Club is put up for sale by an estate agent acting on behalf of the administrators for the troubled course. • Aycliffe Town Council says it is considering resurrect the town's Fireworks Display after safety concerns forced the cancellation of • Aycliffe detectives are set to pioneer state-of-the-art spying technology that enables them to watch criminals in their own homes - but is 'Polar Flair' all what it seems? • The Aycliffe Business Park Community (ABPC) reveal plans to set up task groups to involve more hands-on businesses to focus on key areas, as part of a 'shaping the future' initiative. • World-renowned group Holiday Inn opens a refurbished hotel on the site of the former Aston Hotel just off the A1 - MP Phil Wilson cuts the ribbon. • Newton Aycliffe’s Northern League team retain their first division status despite losing for the eighth time in a row. • The town's cricket club unveils Frank's The Flooring store as their new short sponsor for the 2014 season. MAY • Police hunt sick thieves who steal female underwear from a Newton Aycliffe garden. • Allan Oliver steps down as Aycliffe FC manager and takes over as chairman, handing the managerial reins to star man Dan Mellanby. • State-of-the-art, low-cost gym, One Gym, opens on Aycliffe Business Park. • Newtonian hair stylist Victoria • Aycliffe Today played a key role in the sale of Woodham Golf Club – its new owners, Rushyford-based Hall Construction, reveal. • Upex Electrical Distributors (UED) reveals a 30% jump in turnover in an exclusive feature in Aycliffe Today Business. • Work starts at Woodham Golf Club to get the course and clubhouse in tip-top condition for an official opening. • Teen cricket sensation Sam Telford roars Aycliffe to victory over promotion rivals Redcar, scoring 115. • Teesside-based PD Ports opens a commercial office on Aycliffe Business Park. • Work starts on a £40,000 Multi Use Games Area at Horndale Park in the town. JULY • Inqu \