By Martin Walker
Business Durham boss Simon Goon will talk to guests at the Aycliffe Business Park Community’s special event on Friday (31st January).
The Steering Group of Aycliffe Business Park Community (ABPC) will host the first birthday event at the Xcel Centre (from 8am) and will outline ambitious plans for the year ahead.
Simon Goon, managing director of Business Durham – the business arm of Durham County Council – will talk about what he sees as the potential for growth and how to might respond.
Mr Goon says the opportunities for growth in Newton Aycliffe are “significant”, but says local firms have a huge part to play in building on the park’s recent success.
“We see Newton Aycliffe as a fantastic opportunity,” he said. “But we need we need explore how businesses can help shape the future changes, and help maximise the opportunities for growth.
“The Aycliffe Business Park Community has provided the platform for engaging with the business community, we can use this to start a discussion about the future.”
But Simon is warning it won’t happen overnight, and we must first understand what needs to be done to realise potential.
“The opportunities in Aycliffe are significant, but we first need to understand the present before we start to shape the future,” he said.
“There are potentially more than 100 hectares of land that could be developed for business in Aycliffe, but do we have the capacity for utilities? Do we have enough skilled people to service new enterprises? There are a lot of questions that need to be answered
“We have to develop a longer term strategy to deliver growth in a planned way. We have to think logically and formulate our ideas so when the opportunity to expand comes, we’re ready, and we’ll be asking the local business community if they want to be part of that process.”
Aycliffe Business Park Community’s 1st birthday event is at the Xcel Centre from 8am on Friday 31st January – click here to book
