Durham County Council seals £140m plans for 3,200 jobs with new retail and business park

Plans have been approved to create a £140m business park with the potential to create up to 3,200 jobs.

Forest Park, in Newton Aycliffe, has secured outline planning permission to develop a 55-hectare site. It is located at the south east of the town for commercial and manufacturing use.

These plans are set to see the creation of 1.75 million sq ft of business, industrial, warehouse and trading units, as well as a 60-bed hotel, public house, restaurant and retail space.

The development will extend Aycliffe Business Park to become the largest in the North East and has the potential to create up to 3,200 jobs and boost County Durham’s economy by almost half a billion pounds over the next 20 years.

An aerial shot of Forrest Park.

Cllr Simon Henig, Durham County Council’s leader, said: “I am delighted plans for Forrest Park have been approved.

“This is an opportunity for us to attract new businesses to County Durham, creating thousands of high-quality jobs and boosting the local economy.

“This is not just about investing in today; it is about creating an environment where businesses can flourish, and future generations of residents can access opportunities and enjoy rewarding careers near to where they live.”

Today (July 30), Durham County Council’s county planning committee followed planning officers’ recommendations and approved the scheme.

Jonathan Robinson, Barberry developments director, added: “Following today’s committee decision, we will continue to promote Forrest Park and further our conversations with several key occupiers.

“We now have a prominent motorway-connected, serviced and consented site ready for development, and are excited at the prospect of delivering one of the North East’s premier business parks.”

In 2018, planning permission was granted to improve access to the site. These major highways, signalisation, drainage and power upgrades have already been completed, including the creation of a new traffic light-controlled junction on the A167.

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