A MAJOR County Durham development has entered its next phase with construction of a range of industrial units about to start. Work gets underway this month on Station Place, which is part of the wider £90m Merchant Park industrial scheme in Newton Aycliffe – a 65-acre development at Aycliffe Business Park off J59 of the A1(M) and home to Hitachi Rail. The new £4.8 million scheme on Site 2 at Merchant Park is set to provide 50,333 sq ft of new industrial space to support new and expanding businesses at Aycliffe Business Park. The scheme is due to complete in early 2022 and will deliver ten new industrial units ranging in size from 5,000 sq ft for start-up and growing businesses and creating 130 jobs.
Michael Stonehouse being handed his uniform by mentor and Project Engineer James Hall ONE of the firms helping to transform Teesworks has hired a new apprentice to help prepare the site for investment and give him good-quality, on-the-job training during National Apprenticeship Week. Redcar-based Michael Stonehouse, 18, has joined Hall Construction as an apprentice engineer after initially getting in touch for some work experience with the firm, and has now taken his place alongside the team currently carrying out land redevelopment work at the South Bank area. He has been supported by the Teesworks Skills Academy, established by Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen to link local people with job opportunities on the site. The Academy helped to fast-track his Construction Skills Certification Scheme card so he could be inducted to work on-site.
BUILDING work to transform the historic Guisborough Town Hall has started. The Grade II-listed building is to be restored and adapted into visitor accommodation with a high-quality finish on the top two floors, as well as housing heritage and visitor information and a retail outlet on the ground floor. More than £1.1m was granted from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the project, and £300,000 from the Tees Valley mayor and Combined Authority. Work has started on site and Hall Construction Ltd has been appointed as the principal contractor. Construction sites will continue to operate during the current lockdown announced by the Prime Minister on Monday, January 4.