Investment
Investing in our future Attracting investment and strengthening our £955 million visitor economy have long been priorities for the council. At a time when safeguarding and creating jobs is more important than ever, ambitious public and private sector investment projects across the county are becoming a reality. Together with our world-class tourism offer and improvements to our transport infrastructure, these key employment sites will play a crucial role in County Durham’s recovery from the impact of coronavirus. They also demonstrate the county is open for business, helping to attract additional funding for our area.
Junction improvements with far-reaching benefits Multi-million-pound infrastructure works at junction 61 of the A1(M), at Bowburn, are now complete, paving the way for a major industrial and logistics centre. The Integra 61 development has already attracted the online retailer Amazon, securing more than 1,000 permanent new jobs for the area. The £5.5 million works will significantly improve access to the site and address longstanding congestion and safety issues. The improvements were carried out by the council and jointly funded with the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and Highways England and Roadchef. David Cullingford, project lead for the Citrus Group, owner and developer of Integra 61, said: “The support we have had from the county council, the North East LEP, the local community and other stakeholders has been fantastic and demonstrates what can be achieved by working in partnership.” Visit www.integra61.co.uk
A dynamic vision Proposals to create a major new business park at Aykley Heads near Durham City are gathering pace. The council has submitted a planning application for the site, including land currently occupied by its headquarters, and has also secured £6 million from the Government’s Getting Building Fund. The proposals contain detailed plans for office use on ‘Plot C,’ as well as an outline submission for the scheme’s first two phases. These have the potential to create 4,000 jobs, with an additional 1,800 during the construction period. James Ramsbotham, chief executive of the North East England Chamber of Commerce, said: “It’s fantastic that the Government has agreed to provide funding for this exciting development. It’s a big step towards the vision of establishing a dynamic business park in the north east becoming a reality.” Visit www.durham.gov.uk/AykleyHeads
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