Three people are hoping to make a difference in their hometown after joining a board responsible for a multi-million-pound regeneration programme.
Bishop Auckland residents Brian Sutton, Jack Short and Phil Harnby have been appointed to the Bishop Auckland Stronger Town Board following a selection process.
The board was set up to oversee the allocation of £33.2 million awarded to the council by the government through its Stronger Towns Fund.
It is made up of community representatives, local businesses and people from other organisations with an interest in the future development of Bishop Auckland.
A wealth of experience
Brian started his working life as an electronics engineer at the Rediffusion factory formerly sited at Tindale Crescent. After moving to Currys/PC World, he made his way up the ranks to become field operations director, responsible for after-sales service across the UK via 23 customer support centres.
Brian spent the last decade of his career as operations director at Everest Home Improvements. Now retired, the 70-year-old established the Let’s Clean Up Bishop Auckland Facebook group, which now has more than 2,000 members.
Born and bred in Bishop Auckland, Jack has an MA in History from Newcastle University, where he served as a student representative. He previously worked in the retail sector and now works in project management. At 25, he is the board’s youngest member.
Phil is a director at Mitchells Grieson Chartered Accounts in Bishop Auckland and has worked at various accountancy practices across the north east specialising in the healthcare sector.
The 41-year-old has written for various national publications and has provided financial training on a national level to the medical and healthcare sectors. He is also a trustee/treasurer of a number of regional and national charities.
Crucial time for Bishop Auckland board
Shaun Hope, Chair of the Bishop Auckland Stronger Town Board, said: “We are really pleased to have Brian, Jack and Phil joining us. The board has undertaken a great deal of work already towards the transformation of Bishop Auckland, but with projects now starting to come out of the ground, this really is a crucial time for us – and a great time for new members to get involved.
“Between them our new members bring a great deal of experience, from Brian, who has a long career in management behind him and now leads a very active community group, to Phil, whose accountancy expertise is recognised at a national level. Having Jack on board will also bring a younger voice to the group, helping us ensure that our work is relevant to residents of all ages.”
The government’s £1.6 billion Stronger Towns Fund aims to create new jobs, improve training opportunities for residents and promote economic growth. In Bishop Auckland, the programme aims to boost the town’s reputation as a place to live, work and visit through 10 interlinking projects.
Led by the council, The Auckland Project and 11Arches, the programme is forecast to create around 3,000 new jobs; generate an estimated £240 million for the local economy and deliver an overall social and economic impact of around £690 million by 2035.
Interlinking projects
The Bishop Gateway project to create a new road, car parking and footbridge to the Kynren site will support the town’s wider visitor economy, which has grown significantly in recent years thanks to the investment in Auckland Palace and Gardens and the opening of the Faith Museum, Spanish Gallery and Mining Gallery.
The Bishop Gateway project will also improve traffic flow in the town but, crucially, allow the site to support a million visitors each year, significantly boosting local business opportunities, creating jobs and strengthening community prosperity.
A new 91-space car park next to Bishop Auckland Railway Station will also support the visitor economy, by improving access to the Weardale Railway heritage attraction.
New heritage walking and cycling routes around the town and the recently opened artists’ hub, all funded by Stronger Towns money, offer a further draw for visitors, while a new 58-bedroom hotel currently under construction in the Market Place will provide accommodation in the heart of the town.
Transforming public spaces
The development of the town centre is also being supported by public realm works in Fore Bondgate, North Newgate Street and the Market Place, while the Stronger Towns’ Property Reuse Fund has already provided a number of businesses with grants to transform vacant properties into retail spaces.
Meanwhile, the transformation of the former McIntrye’s shoe shop into a training café and digital studios for Bishop Auckland College has brought a vacant site back into use, while also offering training opportunities for residents.
The projects complement those undertaken through £19.8 million in funding from the government’s Future High Streets Fund.
