Member Article

Infrastructure work to unlock 26 acres of development at NETPark

Work on phase 3 of County Durham’s NETPark is to get underway with the construction of new road and infrastructure works at the site beginning this week.

Construction work on a new 1km road will unlock access to a further 26 acres of development land at the Sedgefield science park, creating additional space for research and development companies looking to prototype and manufacture their products.

Work on the new road, which has been facilitated thanks to a £5m grant from the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Local Growth Fund (LGF), was marked by a ceremony today (Wednesday) with dignitaries from Durham County Council and the North East LEP.

Carl Marshall, Cabinet member for economic regeneration, commented: “The start of the infrastructure works marks another exciting stage in the NETPark development and we are confident that even more businesses will be able to grow and flourish as a result of the expansion.

“The plans could potentially provide a further 1,400 jobs in our region, providing a boost to the economy and in turn improving the lives of those who live across County Durham.”

Simon Goon, managing director of Business Durham, added: “It’s fantastic to see the infrastructure works start knowing they are part of exciting plans to attract more high tech companies to County Durham and create more highly skilled jobs.

“Many of NETPark’s existing companies have expressed a desire to expand on the park as they know it’s a great place to grow and get the right support to reach global markets. We’ve also had interest from companies outside of the region.”