Plans to develop a major business park with the potential to create thousands of new jobs and boost County Durham's economy by £400 million have been given the green light.

Durham County Council's Planning committee voted in favour of developing the site at Aykley Heads, however given the significant scale of the scheme, the Council is required to refer the application to the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. This means, subject to the minister's approval, work will begin on the first phase of Aykley Heads Business Park in early 2021.

The first phase will see the creation of 3,500 square metres of flexible office space within a three-storey building and 60 car parking spaces to the north of the site. The Council is investing £6 million towards the cost of the project, with the remaining £6 million allocated from the Government's Getting Building Fund, which aims to deliver jobs, skills and infrastructure across the country.

This will create up to 300 jobs, while acting as a catalyst for the wider masterplan for the site and putting County Durham firmly on the map as a location for office space.

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As well as the detailed plans for the first phase, the hybrid application approved by councillors also includes outline plans for developing the remainder of the site, which incorporates land currently occupied by our headquarters, County Hall. In January 2018, Cabinet agreed to create a new smaller headquarters at the Sands car park in Durham city to pave the way for the business park. The new headquarters build is now well advanced, with external works largely finished. Once complete, it will provide a base for 1,000 council staff, boosting footfall and trade in Durham city centre, as well as in Crook and Seaham where other employees will be relocated.

The scheme's first two phases have the potential to create 4,000 jobs and it is estimated a further 1,800 jobs will be supported in the construction of the park.

Cllr Simon Henig said: "Aykley Heads Business Park is a major part of the bold economic vision we set out when we became a unitary authority in 2009. Creating and maintaining better jobs and attracting investment into our county remain key priorities, and by transforming this prime site into a business park, we can unlock its true potential.

"Not only will it create up to 1,800 jobs during the construction phase, but it will create thousands more as the site develops. This will boost our economy by £400 million and provide exciting employment opportunities for County Durham residents for generations to come.

"The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the UK's economy has made the need for developments such as these all the greater, and so I am delighted the committee has approved this application today.

"We know it is a challenging time to launch such a project, however our conversations with developers and investors in respect of the future of the office market have been overwhelmingly positive. They have all told us that business parks like Aykley Heads, with its mature landscaping, sustainable location and access to our world-renowned city centre, are the future."