Bringing Aycliffe Business Park Together | 5
Stuart Timmiss, head of land and
assets for Durham County Council
COUNCIL REVEAL EXPANSION
PLANS FOR PARK
Company bosses in Newton Aycliffe have heard
how a county plan by the local authority could
see the town’s business park become the
largest in the North East.
Durham County Council is currently undertaking
a major, 20-year county plan which will go
to Government in April and be adopted by
December 2014.
As part of the wide-reaching remit, which
is designed to improve overall economic
performance, the local authority has earmarked
a whopping 123 hectares of potential
employment land in Newton Aycliffe that could
be developed for industrial and retail space.
If delivered, it could make Aycliffe Business
Park, currently home to 250 companies and
about 8,500 employees, the biggest industrial
estate in the North East.
Team Valley in Gateshead currently has an
estimated 700 companies with 20,000 people
working there, including the Metro Centre, but
doesn’t have vast underdeveloped land.
Planning officers in Durham, though, have
identified key belts of land that could house
business and retail, while it’s also hoped to build
10,000 new homes in the South Durham area,
with at least 2,000 targeted for Aycliffe.
Stuart Timmiss, head of land and assets for
Durham County Council, delivered parts of
the plan specific to Aycliffe to members of the
Aycliffe Business Park group during a recent
breakfast meeting.
He said the plan is based upon “an extensive,
robust evidence base”
.
“It’s a 20-year plan, looking at where we
want to be in economic terms throughout the
county, added Mr Timmiss.
”
“Aycliffe Business Park is a key site for the
development of jobs and the economy going
forward.
“The extension to the South will certainly
provide a lot more space, whether that will
enable Aycliffe to overtake Team Valley remains
to be seen.
”
Officers say the county plan is designed to
meet the needs and aspirations of present
and future residents of County Durham and to
deliver a thriving economy by 2030.
It identifies four prestige employment sites that
could be delivered: Merchant Park (34.5ha),
Newton Park (48ha), Aycliffe Business Park
North (18.7ha) and Aycliffe Business Park South
(22ha).
Dave Spensley, managing director of Aycliffe
Fabrications, said: “This is a fantastic
opportunity for us, there’s a possibility where
we could actually become the largest business
park in the North East.
”
The plan is currently at the pre-submission draft
consultation stage, with the aim of submitting it
to Government by April 2014, followed by public
examination in July next year and adoption by
December 2014.
NEW RECORD
TURNOUT FOR
OKTOBERFEST
A record number of visitors
descended on the sixth annual
County Durham Oktoberfest event.
Organisers say an estimated 1,500 people
poured through the doors of the Xcel Centre on
Aycliffe Business Park for the hugely popular
engineering and manufacturing exhibition.
With 120 exhibitors crammed into the centre’s
auditorium and service village, the seven-hour
event has been hailed another huge success
after attracting around 300 more visitors than
last year.
Darren Race, chairman of the South Durham
Engineering and Manufacturing Forum and
co-founder of County Durham Oktoberfest, told
Aycliffe Today: “We’re estimating about 1,500
visitors, which is bigger than last year when we
had about 1,200.
“We had 120 exhibitors, we had some good
buyer experiences so I think overall it was really
good.
”
More about this, including a video feature,
is in the business section of our website,
www.aycliffetoday.co.uk
WHO CARES ABOUT
THE WORLD OF
BUSINESS?
It’s really strange, working in the
renewables industry.
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future, a future of new technologies
allowing limited power resources to be
further spread across a larger populous,
reduced voltages allow miniaturisation
and have created a whole array of
technological aids that enhance business
and improve our lifestyles. These
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