Aycliffe Today Business #12 | Page 8

8 | Aycliffe Today Business RETAIL PARK COULD WORK With Newton Aycliffe Shopping Centre manager Bryan Haldane... I’m taking part in the Neighbourhood Plan with Great Aycliffe Town Council because I think it’s a fantastic exercise. One of the questions I was asked at the launch event was the subject of a retail park in Newton Aycliffe. I’ve looked at Bishop Auckland, I’ve looked at the impact the development at Tindale has had on the town centre. They are two very different places. At Newton Aycliffe, you’d have to be very careful at what type of retail you put on the business park, as opposed to the type of retail you have in the town centre. I think they could work together, but I think you’d have to be very careful how you planned for it. Being realistic is an important point. Aycliffe is a small town, it isn’t a large town like Darlington or Durham. We’ll never get a Next or a Marks & Spencer – not because of Newton Aycliffe, but by the sheer size alone and population. What we do have over the next year are various developments happening around the town centre, with some of the existing retailers being relocated and bringing in a new national retailer. We’re also in discussions with another very large national retailer, which I think will surprise people if we can achieve it. I’m very positive about Newton Aycliffe. When we’re finished the demolition of Churchill House and do all the works required at that end of the town. We’ll drop to 6% vacancy by February of next year, and there’s no other town in the North-East can say that. Bryan Haldane Aycliffe Shopping Centre Lox of Love managing director Victoria Cartwright with her new stylist, Emma Stevens. LOX OF LOVE EXPAND IN STYLE Newton Aycliffe hair extensions specialists Lox of Love have expanded the business already by adding a new stylist to the team. Newtonian Emma Stevens has joined the firm at their premises in Evans Business Centre on Aycliffe Business Park. Managing director Victoria Cartwright, also from the town, launched Lox of Love 18 months ago, offering a mobile hair extension service to clients across the North-East. Victoria grew the business rapidly, winning a deal to become an official stockist of worldrenowned, award-winning brand, Halo Hair, and taking on her first member of staff in marketing associate Tamsin Edwards. Now she’s brought in experienced stylist Emma, previously of Steven Hall hair salon in Darlington, to enable them to expand their service to existing clients and non-extension wearers and help the business to grow further. “We’re very excited to have Emma on board, said Victoria. “She has an excellent ” reputation and is passionate about hairdressing. “Having a full hairdressing service is quite unique for hair extension wearers and many salons either don’t have the correct training, or are reluctant to cut, colour or style clients who wear hair extensions. “An additional hair stylist in our team means we can offer our clients a full service which will maintain the quality of extensions throughout the period they are worn. “We’re thrilled at how quickly our additional hairdressing service has already taken off. ” Emma added: “I’m delighted to be joining an enthusiastic and ambitious team at Lox of Love. “I’ve been very impressed by Victoria’s ambition to grow the business and I’m proud to be a part of the team and offer new services to clients. ” Lox of Love, based in Unit 6 at Evans Business Centre on the business park, offers a range of elite brand styling tools including Cloud Nine, as well as clip-in extensions and hair pieces from Halo and TOWIE star, Lauren Pope’s Hair Rehab London range. To book or make an enquiry, call them on 01325 327362 or go to www.loxoflove. co.uk or Facebook/loxoflove STUDENT JOURNALIST COMPLETES AYCLIFFE TODAY INTERNSHIP Newton A 危