The Aycliffe Business Park Community celebrated its first birthday last Friday, attracting 70 representatives from local factories and offices to the Xcel Centre breakfast meeting where everyone enjoyed hot sandwiches and beverages, taking home a birthday cup cake.
Chairperson Kerina Clark welcomed everyone and expressed her appreciation for a good turn out, stating there was good reasons for optimism as a result of the formation of the group.
More Aycliffe businesses were talking to each other and sourcing their requirements locally. “This is very enouraging and shows our aims and objectives are on track” said Kerina.
A video promotion produced by Mantis showing progress over the year was well received and Simon Goon Durham County Council Business Development Director said how impressed he was with developments at Aycliffe Business Park and the work of the steering group. “I am very optimistic about the future as Aycliffe is a key area for growth. There are great opportunities and industrialist are interested in locating here. We want everyone here to be part of the development and decision making of what will be the biggest Industrial Estate in the north” said Simon.
He made mention of a small retail presence on the Park supplying the needs of the workers. He was not proposing an operation as big as Teesside Park as he was interested more in providng high paid industrial jobs.
Dave Spencer of Aycliffe Fabrications reported on the successful interaction with schools in promoting apprenticeships.
Pamela Petty urged everyone to register on the website and use it to promote their business, advertise vacancies or use it to sell or buy equipment. “It is a very useful resource and it is free!” said Pamela, Managing Director at Ebac.
John Finley was congratulated on being awarded the contract to manufacture and install the steel frame for the new Hitachi factory. He has been in charge of getting the Business Park tidied up and he said he was pleased with the improvements made and thanked the Probation Service for their excellent work.
This year businesses on the Park will be encouraged to have a voice on what happens at Aycliffe. To that end various sub-committees will report back on how they see this development should proceed.
South West Durham Training, who were expected to accommodate the proposed new University Training College reported this was now not viable as negotiations showed that it was commercially unacceptable to the charity’s operation.
