£140m County Durham business park set to create over 3,000 jobs moves forward

A new North East multi-million pound business park has progressed with the appointment of a developer and the sale of its first plot of land.

Forrest Park (Newton Aycliffe) Limited, a joint venture by Durham County Council and local landowners the Forrest family, has appointed Richardson Barberry to develop the 110-acre site in County Durham.

With the signing of this agreement, the park has also announced development work has started on the first plot of land at the site.

The roadside retail development by Euro Garages will see a petrol filling station built which will include a convenience store attached to the filling station and a stand-alone KFC drive-through restaurant.

An extension of Aycliffe Business Park, the new development will comprise a range of business, industrial, warehouse and trade units, as well as a 60-bed hotel, public house, roadside restaurant and retail space.

Over the next decade, it is anticipated that the park will provide 1.8m square feet of industrial space and create over 3,000 jobs.

Jonathan Robinson, Barberry Industrial director and shareholder, commented: “Barberry, and 50/50 joint venture partners Richardson, are excited at the prospect of delivering one of the North East’s premier business parks, stimulating economic growth and creating new jobs for the region.

“We have made significant progress over recent months and we are now delighted to be in the position to launch the site to potential occupiers. This is a highly attractive location for a range of major businesses, with units available in a wide range of sizes.

“Local, regional, national and international occupiers have already expressed interest in this prominent, motorway-connected, serviced and consented site, which is oven-ready for development and has access to an excellent, skilled labour demographic.”

Cllr Carl Marshall, cabinet member for economic regeneration, added: “The signing of this development agreement by Richardson Barberry is a significant milestone for Forrest Park, as it declares globally that the park is officially open for business.

“This first sale of land is just the start of what the park has to offer in boosting the county’s economy, particularly in its recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, by attracting international investors to the county from across the globe and in turn creating thousands of high-quality jobs for our local residents.

“We look forward to welcoming more retailers and businesses to the park as its development grows.”