Bringing Aycliffe Business Park Together | 27
Survey shows
slower NorthEast growth
Scores for UK sales and orders,
investment and workforce all
took a dip in the North East
Chamber of Commerce’s
Quarterly Economic Survey
(QES).
While the survey still shows growth across
all main indicators, the pace has slowed after
18 months in which the survey regularly
reported record highs.
NECC director of policy Ross Smith
(pictured) attributed the slowdown to factors
including the fall in oil price, turbulence in
global markets and continued reductions in
public spending.
But there are some more positive signs,
with confidence for the next 12 months
showing a slight increase, and scores for
export sales and orders also rising – though
remaining well below levels seen a year ago.
“It is disappointing to see a slowdown
in growth, but certainly not alarming,” said
Smith.
“Confidence levels for the longer term
remain high, but there are several factors
affecting business at the moment.”
NECC president Mike Matthews added:
“This last quarter has supplied some
incredible highs and one devastating low in
particular.
“The opening of the Hitachi plant at
Aycliffe took place and Nissan announced it
is to build the new Juke on Wearside – great
news for our region, creating and securing
thousands of jobs.”
The £12.5bn takeover of a Darlington
telecoms firm will create a UK digital
champion, its suitor has claimed.
BT says its move for EE, which is
Darlington’s largest private employer
with about 2,000 call centre staff, will
be good for customers.
The Competition and Markets Authority
said the deal, agreed in February, was
“not expected to result in a substantial
lessening of competition” and did not
propose any changes in the terms of
the deal.
John Wooton, chair of the CMA inquiry,
said: “The group does not provisionally
believe that, in a dynamic and evolving
sector, it is more likely than not that BT/
EE will be able to use its position to
damage competition or the interests of
consumers.”
Vodafone, the UK’s third-largest mobile
phone operator, behind EE and O2,
said it was disappointed by the CMA’s
decision.
EE is joint owned by former state
telecoms companies, Germany’s
Deutsche Telekom and Orange in
France, and both governments retain
stakes in the businesses. Under the
proposed deal, Deutsche Telekom and
Orange would gain small stakes in BT.
POUNDWORLD TO OPEN
NEWTON AYCLIFFE STORE
Growing value chain Poundworld has
confirmed it will open its first store in
Newton Aycliffe in November.
The new store will be situated in what was
previously occupied by Poundstretcher within
Aycliffe Shopping Centre.
The opening is part of a [