Newton Aycliffe Strategic Place Plan
Help shape Newton Aycliffe town centre's future
We are starting work in Newton Aycliffe with our partner, Urban Foresight to seek your views and ideas about how you would like to see the town develop over the next 10 years.
We want this plan to be developed with our communities, so its important that you tell us what you would like to see for the future.
We want to hear from the people who live and work in Newton Aycliffe to help shape the future of your town. We want to understand your thoughts on its strengths and opportunities, what can be improved and what we’d all like Newton Aycliffe to be in the future.
There are no existing ideas in mind, this vision will be directly shaped by the people of Newton Aycliffe from the very beginning.
Over the next eight weeks, we will be talking to people in the streets, at transport hubs, bus stops, shopping centres, organising drop-in meetings, listening to children and young people in schools, and visiting community meetings and local organisations to find out people’s thoughts on the town's strengths, opportunities, challenges, and your hopes for its future.
County Durham has also been identified by The National Lottery Heritage Fund as one of its Heritage Places. Heritage Places is a £200 million initiative aimed at engaging communities and developing partnerships to create possibilities from the heritage in specifically identified areas across the UK. The initiative aims to put heritage at the centre of place based plans to transform local areas, helping to boost local pride and people's connection to their heritage. It will operate across whole places rather than supporting individual projects, encouraging local partners to make heritage at central to their plans to make their local areas better places to live, work and visit and will form part of the work to produce the Shildon and Newton Aycliffe Strategic Place Plans.
See Heritage Fund: Heritage 2033 – our 10-year strategy for more information.
We will use the information gathered from you alongside what we know about the town to develop a draft vision and feed information into the Heritage Place project.
We will then come back and ask you again what you think about the vision and start to draw up plans to help us get there.
The boundary map shows the Newton Aycliffe town centre boundary. The map is bounded by Burn Lane to the North, comes South West along Central Avenue, heads North West up Stephenson Way and returns up Greenwell Road. It also includes some of the areas linked to the town centre and which will have an influence on the Vision.
We want to know if you think we have missed any important areas which should be included in the map.
Complete our survey to enter into a free prize draw for a £100 One4All gift card. You will see the terms and conditions and privacy notice at the end of the survey.
Below shows what will happen during the project at each stage, how you can take part in the online surveys or sign up for a drop in event, and other ways to have your say. The dates for future stages are provision and may change as the project progresses.
For more information visit Newton Aycliffe Strategic Place Plan.
Phase three of this consultation closed on 24 October 2025.
For more information contact CED@durham.gov.uk
To have this in a different format contact letstalkcountydurham@durham.gov.uk
Phases
Understanding your feedback
In phase two, we have been understanding what you have told us
We have gathered your feedback from events, the survey, from schools and community groups and local organisations and employers and cross reference it with data and information we have about the town. We will then develop a draft vision for the town to share with you in the next phase.
What you told us
We engaged with 369 people across a range of demographics:
- 133 survey responses representing residents of Newton Aycliffe, wider County Durham commuters and businesses
- 216 people during drop-in or on-street engagement
- 10 young people via a school council session (representing 200 primary aged children)
- 10 key stakeholders or partners were interviewed or took part in mini-focus groups
The key findings are based on themed areas of heritage and regeneration; transport; safety and security; housing; education, skills and opportunities; community spirit; and health and wellbeing. These summarise what you told us about the town.
Heritage and regeneration ↘
Strengths
Newton Aycliffe’s parks and green spaces are highly valued, and the pedestrianised town centre is seen as an important asset. Residents are deeply proud of the town’s industrial history, including the Aycliffe Angels, and the founding principles as a post-war new town shape their ambitions for the future.
Challenges
The town centre is perceived as run-down, with many empty retail units and limited leisure and hospitality offerings. The ownership of the town centre and high rents are seen as barriers to regeneration.
Opportunities
Revitalising the town centre through improved shop fronts, reintroducing the weekly market, and integrating greenery into public spaces. Enhancing heritage visibility through displays and storytelling.
Transport ↘
Strengths
Aycliffe is a very walkable town and has good cycling infrastructure for active travel and leisure. The close proximity to the A1 offers strong regional connectivity.
Challenges
Bus and train services are unreliable and poorly connected to key areas. Car dependency and poor infrastructure in new developments limits sustainable transport options.
Opportunities
Extending bus operating hours, improving station access, and developing a central transport hub. Enhancing maintenance of paths and lighting to support active travel.
Safety and security ↘
Strengths
Generally, residents feel safe, especially during the day, and community policing and neighbourhood watch schemes are appreciated. The PACT meetings and police updates are valued highly.
Challenges
Antisocial behaviour, particularly involving off-road bikes, is a major concern. The relocation of the police station from the centre and a lack of a visible police presence has weakened the publics’ perception of safety.
Opportunities
Creating youth spaces to reduce antisocial behaviour. Targeted community safety campaigns that communicate actions being taken to improve safety and improving lighting and surveillance in public areas.
Housing ↘
Strengths
A good range of housing is available, with many properties offering outdoor space and green surroundings. The quality of housing is very high in some areas.
Challenges
There is a shortage of social housing and long waiting lists, especially for young families. Residents are also concerned about infrastructure not keeping pace with housing growth.
Opportunities
Improving transparency and communication in social housing allocation. Supporting individuals to maintain outdoor space and appearance of properties alongside enforcement measures for private landlords.
Education, work, skills and opportunities ↘
Strengths
Local schools are well-regarded, with recent improvements to facilities. UTC South Durham was highlighted as providing relevant skills for industrial employment. The industrial estate offers strong job availability.
Challenges
There is limited sixth-form provision and a lack of non-industrial job opportunities, which raises concerns about young people leaving the area for better prospects. The decline of the town centre is also seen as limiting local job opportunities in retail and hospitality.
Opportunities
Diversifying employment sectors beyond industry, strengthening links between schools and employers, and regenerating the town centre to create more local jobs.
Community spirit ↘
Strengths
Newton Aycliffe is seen as a friendly and supportive town, with a large number of active community groups and dedicated volunteers. The Town Council and events they provide such as the Santa Tours and Fun in the Park days are viewed positively.
Challenges
Declining community spirit is being felt in some areas, with antisocial behaviour exacerbating these feelings. There are also limited opportunities for teenagers to participate in community life with most activities aimed at younger children.
Opportunities
There is opportunity to enhance the town centre by creating a central community space. Additionally, improving promotion of events and services would help support access to the wide range of community groups Newton Aycliffe has to offer.
Health and wellbeing ↘
Strengths
The town offers a wide range of leisure facilities and organised sports activities to support health and wellbeing. The presence of a leisure centre on the main shopping street is also seen as a key asset. Green spaces supporting physical and mental wellbeing are plentiful.
Challenges
Air pollution and environmental concerns, particularly relating to the proposed incinerator. Difficulty accessing GP and dentist appointments, and limited evening activities for working adults.
Opportunities
Maximising the benefits of green spaces for health and wellbeing through outdoor health initiatives. Modernising leisure centres, better offline promotion and increasing low-cost activities for adults in the evenings would also increase access to Newton Aycliffe’s existing services.
Our approach for the next stages
We have shared these findings with senior officers across the council to develop a greater understanding of what local residents, organisations and businesses are telling us about the town.
We will be setting up a group which will be made up of council officers and local partners to help identify what can be done to improve the area over the next 10 years.
As part of this, a vision for the town will be developed and shared with you for your comments. In addition, we will be developing an investment plan.
Upcoming and ongoing events
Past events
Event date: June 28th, 2025 from 12:00 to 16:30.
Beveridge Way
Event date: June 27th, 2025 from 14:00 to 17:00.
OakLeaf Sports Complex
Event date: June 26th, 2025 from 15:30 to 19:00.
Newton Aycliffe Leisure Centre
Event date: June 26th, 2025 from 12:00 to 15:00.
Tesco Extra
Event date: June 21st, 2025 from 10:30 to 14:00.
Beveridge Way
Event date: June 6th, 2025 from 12:30 to 16:30.
Beveridge Way