“ THE BUSINESS PARK CONTINUES TO EXPAND AND PROVIDES ADDITIONAL EMPLOYMENT FOR RESIDENTS AND SURROUNDING AREAS .”
50th anniversary of the town , the development of the Great Aycliffe Way and later extending and adding a further loop .
“ We also updated and provided new , modern and exciting play areas , BMX tracks and MUGAs ; we designed and managed the construction of the Town Park , which is now a well-loved and used facility , as well as the design and development of the Aycliffe Angels Memorial Garden at St Clare ’ s Church and Sheila ’ s Garden at St Oswald ’ s Park .”
As town clerk , much of the work goes unseen , but is equally important – including production of an asset management plan , which informs the council ’ s budget plans and spending , registering all of the council ’ s land holdings and dealing with legal aspects such as leases .
Andrew added : “ The town clerk is also responsible for overseeing the smooth operation of the council , its committees and sub-committees , and implementing their decisions , as well as leading and offering support to a dedicated team of managers and staff .” Andrew has seen lots of change during his 32 years in Aycliffe .
“ Over my long career with the town council , I have seen the town grow and improve ,” he smiled .
“ New housing has continued to be built on large sites , as well as infill sites . We have also had new housing developments which are not within the parish of Great Aycliffe , including in Heighington and Middridge parishes , but they are within metres of the boundary .
“ The business park continues to expand and provides additional employment for residents and surrounding areas .
“ Many new facilities , such as bars , gyms , cafes and leisure facilities , have also sprung up and added a new dimension to what was originally an industrial / manufacturing trading estate .”
Andrew has high hopes that Newton Aycliffe and surrounding areas within the parish will continue to grow and develop in the future .
“ While there is limited expansion available to the west and north of the town , there is considerable housing development planned to the east of the A167 ,” he said .
“ Within this development will come an increased demand for services , whether on the site of the development or existing facilities in the town .
“ Aycliffe Business Park continues to increase in size towards the A1 ( M ), with large units becoming the norm . Hopefully this will provide further employment opportunities for residents .”
Upon retirement , Andrew says he hopes to eventually see more of the world , once Covid restrictions allow .
But he added : “ Initially , any plans will revolve around tasks at home , with a number of projects in the pipeline .
“ My brother , who is a farmer , has already made it clear he can use any spare time I have !
“ In the longer term , as the Covid pandemic recedes , I would like to think I could have one or two last ski trips before I become too old .
“ My travel ambition is to visit Japan , see the country and people and hopefully visit some friends who live there .”
And with that , Andrew signs off on his time in Aycliffe after overseeing an eventful and progressive period in the town ’ s history , and adding a significant contribution that cannot be understated .
The magazine for Aycliffe Business Park | 27