Phil Wilson MP who helped to bring train manufacturing back to the North-East says the biggest town in his constituency is really “punching its weight”. Phil Wilson, the Labour MP for Sedgefield, successfully campaigned to bring Hitachi Rail Europe to Aycliffe Business Park in Newton Aycliffe. As the Japanese firm celebrates the second anniversary of the opening of its £82m factory, after it was opened by then Prime Minister David Cameron in September 2015, Mr Wilson says Hitachi and other major employers in the town are helping it achieve its potential.
Spread across 400 hectares, and with future expansion plans, Aycliffe Business Park is already home to around 500 companies employing an estimated 10-12,000 people – it’s the largest single employment area in County Durham and thought to be the biggest in the North-East. Mr Wilson is one of four keynote speakers headlining an event to celebrate the relaunch of Aycliffe Business Park Community (ABPC) at the Xcel Centre today.
