Newton News received an E-mail from a reader asking why Newton Aycliffe can’t have a Costa Coffee Shop like Shildon.
The answer is quite simple – shops in Shildon are half the price to rent. Most of the properties are owned by private landlords who have to compete with each other to sell their leases.
Aycliffe Town Centre is owned by the biggest commercial property owner in the country, based in London, who appear to prefer empty shops than making them cheap enough for people to open a business.
Small enterprises have tried to make a go of it, but only stay a short time when realising they cannot afford the overheads.
The Neighbourhood Plan gives people the opportunity to make this point. Newton News has fought for years asking the Council to allow a Retail Park on the Business Park to no avail.
Every other large town has this facility and as Aycliffe is to be bigger than Team Valley (which has a vast Retail Park), the time is ripe.
Some town centres need to be protected, but Aycliffe does not come under that category. It is privately owned and too expensive for retailers to make a living. It is also too small to accommodate the large stores a retail park would provide.
Protecting Aycliffe Town Centre from competition is wrong in this situation and the landlords must be clapping their hands.
Meanwhile we must continue to travel out of town, and out of the County, to obtain  necessary services when we could be benefitting our own local economy.