The latest phase of a major scheme is now underway with the development of a range of industrial units at Station Place in Newton Aycliffe.
Station Place, which is now under construction, is part of the wider £90m Merchant Park industrial scheme – a 65-acre development at Aycliffe Business Park and home to Hitachi Rail.
The new £4.8m project on Site 2 at Merchant Park is set to provide 50,333 sq ft of new industrial space to support new and expanding businesses in Aycliffe.
Work will start on Station Place this month after planning permission was granted in December 2020.
The scheme is due to complete in early 2022 and will deliver a total of ten new industrial units ranging in size from 5,000 sq ft for start-up and growing businesses and creating 130 jobs.
Durham County Council is supporting the development of the industrial units, after agreeing to a 35-year-lease at Station Place in September 2019.
The units will be managed by Business Durham, the economic development arm of the council.
The development is being delivered in partnership with Merchant Anglo and Rokeby Developments.
Sarah Slaven, interim managing director at Business Durham, said: “It’s exciting to see the next phase of Merchant Park underway as County Durham has a strong manufacturing sector and we know there is demand for modern industrial facilities.
“The development is a prime location for businesses to establish themselves in County Durham or for relocation and expansion, thanks to its high-quality industrial units, excellent transport links, and the thriving Aycliffe Business Park Community. We are looking forward to welcoming the first tenants to Station Place.”
Station Place is part of Aycliffe Business Park, which is the largest industrial Park in the North-East, home to a wide range of well-established businesses and next to Hitachi Rail Europe.
Cllr Simon Henig, leader of Durham County Council, said: “Supporting the development of strategic employment sites is a main priority for the council and we recognise the importance of meeting companies’ needs by offering high quality and flexible industrial units at key locations throughout the county.
“As the economy moves into the recovery phase it is important we continue to support businesses to thrive and grow, as well as help create high-quality jobs, and generate investment opportunities to boost the economic growth of the county.”
Councillor Carl Marshall, cabinet member for economic regeneration at Durham County Council, said: “Newton Aycliffe is already a leading centre for manufacturing and Station Place will provide even more industrial space and create new employment opportunities in this key location for County Durham.
“We have worked closely with our partners to create a development which will attract investment into the area and benefit the local community. It demonstrates our commitment to creating more and better jobs and we’re excited to see this phase of Merchant Park come to fruition.”
Geoff Hunton, director of Merchant Anglo, said: “We are seeking to address the shortfall of modern fit for purpose units in Newton Aycliffe to support new and growing business in conjunction with our partners Business Durham.
“We are delighted that we are one significant step closer to starting on site. Despite all the challenges of the last two years, we are now receiving real enquiries from local businesses and we are making this phase our priority to get going early this year.”
Adrian Goodall of Rokeby Developments, development managers for Merchant Anglo, said: “We very much hope to see Hall Construction make a start on site in May this year and everyone is working very hard at present to achieve this date. Completion is anticipated in early Spring next year.”
Chris Dent, Sanderson Weatherall agent, said: “Sanderson Weatherall are proud to have been part of such an exciting scheme from the outset and it’s been a pleasure working with the wider team over the last two years.
“The industrial sector in the North East continues to go from strength to strength.
“Despite the pandemic we’ve seen the demand for industrial units of this size increasing over the past few months and once completed we have no doubt that Merchant Park will be very well received by the market.”