Bringing Aycliffe Business Park Together | 5
INCLUDED IN THE JULY-AUGUST
ISSUE OF AYCLIFFE TODAY
BUSINESS…
WELCOME
FOREWORD By Dr Simon Goon
It gives me great pleasure to write
the foreword for the July-August
issue of Aycliffe Today Business.
From Business Durham’s point of view, there’s
certainly a lot to talk about at the moment.
As you’ll now know, money has been
secured from the Local Growth Fund to
develop Merchant 2 on Aycliffe Business
Park – about £10m-worth of funding which
will make provisions for a potential 48-hectare
manufacturing hub adjacent to Hitachi’s site.
This is a major move forward in the County Plan
to regenerate not only Newton Aycliffe, but the
County as a whole.
The Aycliffe Business Park Community (ABPC)
is currently in the process of undertaking its
Shaping the Future exercise – something which
I feel very passionately about. It’s an opportunity
for businesses to lead the future development
of the park.
As we carry out this process, the timing of the
Local Growth Fund announcement couldn’t have
been better.
It makes it all the more important that we
maintain ABPC’s momentum over the next year
and beyond. Community involvement is crucial
as we aim to Shape the Future together, and
businesses on the park – no matter how big or
small – can have a real say by getting involved.
Another major boost to the area is Local Growth
Fund grants being awarded to developments
at neighbouring North East Technology Park
(NETPark), in Sedgefield.
NETPark, along with Aycliffe Business Park, is
another one of Coun