A DEVELOPER at a business park supporting hundreds of jobs has given his backing to a plan to support the economic growth of the community.

Spectrum Business Park has undergone major growth since it was founded ten years ago on the outskirts of Seaham, east Durham, and is now home to a number of high-profile tenants that have invested millions of pounds in the local economy.

Northumbrian Water have become the latest tenant at Spectrum, alongside Great Annual Savings Group, ResQ, BE Group, County Durham Housing Group and Durham County Council.

To support the continued growth of Seaham and the surrounding area, park developer Paul Wellstead has joined the steering group of the newly-created Seaham Business Park Group, alongside fellow businesses Andrew James UK, Seaham Safety Services and Aspen Wolf.

The group was launched as a spin-out from a successful networking group in Peterlee, also east Durham, and is already proving to be a popular platform with businesses in the area.

Mr Wellstead said: “Spectrum Business Park has become a real hub for Seaham as more and more businesses have chosen to locate here.

“When I launched the development ten years ago, it was hard for people to see its potential and we struggled to secure tenants; today dozens of companies, from the micro firms and growing small and medium-sized firms, right through to the big corporate employers, call Spectrum their home.

“The next stage for me is establishing the park and the wider Seaham area as a community, a location where businesses work together to support growth, share opportunities and do their bit to put the area on the map for all of the right reasons.”

He added: “There’s no doubt as a business location Seaham is going from strength-to-strength.

"We’re attracting more and more companies into the area, who between them are creating hundreds of jobs and bringing millions of pounds of investment.

“By working together and with the support of Business Durham, I believe we can achieve what’s been done in Peterlee elsewhere in County Durham and really put Seaham on the map as one of the region’s leading business locations.”

A key improvement to Spectrum has been the upgrade of public transport services to and from the park, with Arriva now running regular bus services. Further expansions of the transport infrastructure at the park are in the pipeline.