MP CONSIDERED ALDI COMMONS DEBATE

By Martin Walker

MP Phil Wilson says he became so frustrated with the Aldi delay in Newton Aycliffe that he almost raised it in the House of Commons!

Work was expected to start on the new town centre store earlier this year after demolition was completed at the end of 2011.

But petty wranglings involving the ownership of utility pipes has held up the whole development.

In an exclusive interview with Aycliffe Today, during which Mr Wilson was answering questions from our readers, he said he almost raised the matter in Parliament.

“There has been problems with the utility companies, which I’ve found really frustrating,” he said.

“In fact, at one point I nearly raised it on the floor of the House of Commons, because I just thought it was ridiculous.

“The developers wanted to get the store open at the beginning of the year, but I think it’s going to be more towards the end of this year.

“But it is coming. Believe me, I can understand people’s frustrations.

“I must spend a part of every week dealing with something to do with the town centre, and it’s been the same since I was elected in 2007.”

Mr Wilson went on to give a little insight into some of the exciting town centre developments in the pipeline over the coming years.

“There’s a phased programme of works going on in the next two or three years,” he added.

“What they’ll ultimately do is the shops where the post office is will be pulled down.

“They have to wait for leases to expire before that work can start, and I think the last lease runs out around February 2013.”

Go to our Video Vault to see the two-part interviews with Mr Wilson