PLANS have been unveiled that could make Newton Aycliffe Business Park the largest in the North-East. Deputy Business Editor Steven Hugill looks at what the proposals mean, and just how important the estate is to the region
HANDED a cup of coffee for warmth, Vince Cable wandered indoors, its shelter providing the perfect place to escape the freezing temperatures.
The Business Secretary was returning from a field in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, which will be transformed into Hitachi Rail Europe's £82m train-building plant.
“This factory is a great story for Aycliffe, for County Durham, and for the whole country”, he enthused.
“It will have a positive impact on generations to come.”
The Japanese firm's presence as a tenant on Newton Aycliffe's sprawling business park is widely recognised as a huge coup for the region, providing a massive boost to the North-East's economy, creating 730 jobs and supporting thousands in the supply chain.
But to focus too heavily on Hitachi's arrival would dilute the estate's true eminence.
Plans have been unveiled that could increase the site by 123 hectares, attract numerous new employers, and make the estate the largest in the North-East.
The 400-hectare park is home to more than 250 businesses, including a host of internationally-recognised companies, which provide employment for about 8,000 North-East workers.
US firm 3M, famous for its office favourite, the Post It note, employs more than 330 workers in Newton Aycliffe, who make millions of industrial face masks every year.
Family-run dehumidifier maker Ebac is expanding with plans to build freezers and washing machines, marine engineering firm Tekmar is increasing its standing with deals to supply cable protection for offshore wind farms, and bosses at Emerald Biogas chose the site for their £8m food waste energy plant.
The University of Sunderland wants to open the region's first Technical College on the park, training up to 600 engineering students every year to bridge the North-East's skills gap.
Face masks on the production line at 3M, in Newton Aycliffe
That will to add existing work at South West Durham Training, which already takes on about 200 manufacturing apprentices every year.
However, if the new proposals come to fruition, bosses say the site would be up to a third bigger than Team Valley Trading Estate, in Gateshead, which houses more than 700 companies employing 20,000 workers.
The proposals are part of a grand plan that include major improvements to Newton Aycliffe's housing market and retail sector.
Stuart Timmiss, the council's head of planning and assets, said the land identified was in the south of the estate.
It is close to budget supermarket Lidl's warehouse and Compound Photonics' former Fujitsu plant, where workers at the US-based company will build the world's smallest high definition projection light engines for mobile devices and projectors.
Mr Timmiss pointed towards the success and importance of Japanese car maker Nissan's move to Sunderland, which created thousands of jobs and galvanised the North-East's supply chain, as an example of how a business area can quickly grow.
He said: “If you look at the benefits of Nissan, you have the supply chain jobs and work, but people also want to be in an area of such growth.
“When Nissan moved to Sunderland, it became an exciting place to be, and we want to make sure the plan is viable to take Newton Aycliffe forward in a similar way.
“It is not just about Hitachi in Aycliffe, it is about the existing companies that are on the site, about the fantastic work they do and their successes, and we have to be flexible to meet their needs.
“The estate is home to so many innovative companies, such as Emerald Biogas, and with the proposed expansion, we have probably got the biggest industrial estate in the region, about a third bigger than Team Valley.
The Emerald Biogas plant in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham
“We have got the opportunity, and all of the ingredients, to really drive the economy forward in this area.”
The council's 20-year plan identifies four areas where development could take place, with 48 hectares on Newton Park, 34.5 hectares on Merchant Park, where Hitachi's factory will be built, 22 hectares on Aycliffe Business Park South, and 18.7 hectares on Aycliffe Business Park North.
Dr Simon Goon, managing director of regional investment group, Business Durham, said the proposals could have major implications for Newton Aycliffe.
However, he urged caution over any development, saying there was a lot of work to be done before any expansion starts.
He said: “Newton Aycliffe is the jewel in the crown of County Durham and these plans can be a catalyst to take it to a new level.
“I'm committed to helping them come to fruition and this is exciting, but it is a long road.”
Phil Wilson, MP for Sedgefield, played a key role in Hitachi choosing Aycliffe ahead of more than 40 rival sites, and said he welcomed the plans.
He said: “This is good news for the park and for Newton Aycliffe because we have the second largest estate in the region.
“We all know about Hitachi and the benefits they will bring, but we shouldn't forget the other companies that are already on the estate.
“They are employing about 8,000 people, and the expansion just shows the faith the county council has in Newton Aycliffe.
“I just want to see Aycliffe go from strength to strength, which includes the regeneration of the town centre and new affordable housing for families to move into the area.
“By the end of the decade, when people think of Hitachi, they will think of Newton Aycliffe, as vice versa, because this is the home of train-building.
“But by then we will also have the Technical College, and companies in Aycliffe who are committed to making it a real success.
Stuart Timmiss
“A lot of people go to university, but for many, the academic route is not the path they want to choose.
“That's why we need the skills and the industry-trained workers to continue strengthening our local companies and the economy, which the technical college will provide.
“The fact the college is backed by Hitachi and Gestamp Tallent only proves they are here for the long-term too.”
The council expects to submit the plans in April next year.
Bosses say the public will see them in July, with a report in November, which could see the proposals adopted by December.
A HISTORY OF THE BUSINESS PARK:
Newton Aycliffe, which is 65-years-old, started life as the new town vision of Lord William Beveridge.
After the Second World War, companies began to move to Newton Aycliffe, including Great Lake Chemicals, which retained the famous munitions factory until its demolition in 2004.
The Queen visited the town in 1960, and at the time, there were 70 firms on the Aycliffe industrial estate employing 4,000 workers.
Eaton Axles and BIP were two of the largest employers of Aycliffe residents until the 1980s, with Union Carbide, Standard Telephone and Cables, Sanyo, Flymo, 3M and Ineos moving in.
When Sedgefield's former MP, Tony Blair, became Prime Minister, the town was a focus of the world's attention as French President Jacques Chirac and US President George Bush visited, with firms such as Filtronic, Electrolux and Norsk Hydro boosting the park.
Today, the park is home to various companies, including car parts maker Gestamp Tallent, the Husqvarna Group, which makes chainsaws, trimmers and garden tractors and lawnmowers, acrylics firm Lucite, chemicals company Ineos, and shower maker Roman.
Tekmar workers in the Kattegat Sea, between Denmark and Sweden
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