EXCLUSIVE By Martin Walker
The Aycliffe Business Park Community (ABPC) is taking its next ambitious leap forward by appointing task groups to identify how they want the park to develop in future years.
ABPC is responding to Business Durham’s challenge to Aycliffe firms, offering them a say in how to shape the future, by setting up individual teams to focus on specific areas, such as marketing and utilities.
The five groups will consist of between seven and 10 individual companies from Aycliffe Business Park – meaning between 40 and 50 firms will have an active say in what the park wants to see happen in future.
It’s part of a project which will culminate with one document being presented to Business Durham, the local authority and landowners.
ABPC chairperson Kerina Clark has told Aycliffe Today the groups will have between three and six months to come up with their findings.
In a Video Interview, she said: “They’re task and finish groups, so people aren’t committing for a never-ending period of time.
“We’ve given a guide of three-to-six months for each of these five groups to investigate and do all the research on the area.
“The groups will report back to the steering group, we’ll then collate it all and produce one document which will be the business park’s view on shaping the future and what our vision is for the what the park should look like.”
Kerina says the interest and enthusiasm from businesses wanting to get involved has been encouraging.
“It’s been less than two years since the conversation was even started, and we’re now at a point where we’ve got between 50 and 100 businesses regularly engaged in what we’re doing,” she said.
“Now we have 50 individuals willing to commit some time, completely unpaid. There’s no benefit for businesses, other than the fact you get to have your input.
“That tells me that businesses are actually interested, not only in their own business, but the park as a whole.
“It’s really encouraging that they’re willing to invest their time and energy into it.”
Click here to see our Video Interview with Kerina.