Spotlight on Durham’s Ambitious Jobs and Investment Vision

The Durham Property and Construction Lunch, at Ramside Hall, gave over 60 delegates a chance to hear about the development of the County Durham Plan, investment and development opportunities within County Durham’s key strategic sites, infrastructure and transport developments as well as Durham’s vision to create 30,000 jobs over the next 15 years and 24,852 new homes by 2035.

Delegates heard from Durham County Council Leader Cllr Simon Henig, Durham County Council Chief Executive Terry Collins and Business Durham Interim Managing Director Sarah Slaven about Durham’s ambitious vision for the future.

Led by Business Durham, the economic development arm of the council, the event showcased Durham’s varied and evolving property portfolio, highlighting strategic sites including NETPark, the region’s only science park; Jade Business Park, a £75 million manufacturing and distribution facility; Integra 61, a key site for logistics businesses; Aycliffe Business Park, with the potential to create 3,280 jobs; and Aykley Heads, which will create 6,000 new jobs and boost the economy by £400 million.

Councillor Simon Henig, Leader of Durham County Council, said: “We have a lot to look forward to in County Durham. Through the County Durham Plan, we aim to make the county one of the most attractive business locations, not just in the north, but in the country. We will be working closely with businesses and all of our partners to achieve this dynamic future for our communities.”

Terry Collins, Chief Executive of Durham County Council, said: “Our vision to create 30,000 jobs over the next 15 years will create huge long-term benefits for the county. By providing these exciting opportunities, we will be able to retain young people in County Durham with the prospect of better jobs and opportunities for generations to come.

Sarah Slaven, Interim Managing Director of Business Durham, said: “It is a really exciting time for County Durham and we’re delighted to be working closely with colleagues in the council to support their ambitious strategy for creating more jobs by supporting our local businesses to grow and thrive.

“With the development of sites such as NETPark, Jade Business Park and Aycliffe Business Park we’re looking forward to attracting businesses which can help bring investment not just into the county, but the region as a whole.  Every new company can make a real impact on our local economy and help boost job creation.”

The MET Club is a leading provider of lunchtime business networking events covering property, construction, investment, transport and infrastructure sectors.

The Durham Property and Construction Lunch, at Ramside Hall, Durham was supported by main sponsor Construction Alliance North East and associate sponsor Miller Homes.