NEWS
Temple Quarter to be site of new Enterprise Zone
T Ian Larrard, director of GWE The Initiative Green light for Swindon
and Wiltshire LEP Businesses in Swindon and Wiltshire will be supported by a new Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), after Business Minister Mark Prisk and Decentralisation Minister Greg Clark recently approved the proposal. The partnership has the support of both local authorities in the area and joins the 36 LEPs announced since the Government’s local growth white paper was published last October.
The Swindon and Wiltshire LEP covers a population of about 650,000 and represents over 26,000 businesses. Its priority is to promote growth and create jobs in the area. To achieve this, the partnership plans to help create 10,000 new jobs and safeguard a further 8,000 by 2015. The LEP’s priorities include increasing the coverage of super-fast broad band, improving connectivity between the main population areas, supporting the tourism industry and helping to realise the potential of the growth sectors like advanced manufacturing and engineering, information technology and logistics.
‘We will continue to work hard to ensure that the Swindon and Wiltshire LEP makes it easier for businesses to grow and prosper.’
Ian Larrard, director of GWE The Initiative in Swindon and Wiltshire, said: “We, along with Forward Swindon and Wiltshire Council, have been immersed in the process of bidding for this LEP and we are delighted that it has been approved. It has been a real collaborative effort and whilst it is obviously early days in the development of the LEP, the message about it being there to promote economic development and remove the barriers to growth in private sector jobs is exactly what GWE The Initiative is all about. “What business will want to see now is action. We will continue to work hard to ensure that the Swindon and Wiltshire LEP makes it easier for businesses to grow and prosper. Building on the collaboration that led to the successful bid, our aim is to ensure that our LEP addresses the key issues important to business and that it has the power and resources needed to take action. “Our role at GWE The Initiative in Swindon
and Wiltshire is to ensure the business voice continues to be heard and that these very issues remain at the heart of the agenda of this new Local Enterprise Partnership.”
6
he West of England Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has named Temple Quarter as the official Enterprise Zone, which will act as a magnet for inward investment and boost the local economy by creating thousands of new jobs. Meanwhile five other places have been given Enterprise Area status which will bring benefits and make it easier for developments to take place, ensuring economic growth across the whole of the sub-region. LEP chairman Colin Skellett said: “We set ourselves the task of removing the barriers to the creation of new jobs and the Government gave us the opportunity to do that, in part, by creating an Enterprise Zone. It brings a
‘Redevelopment will lead to the creation of almost 17,000 new jobs over a 25 year period’
number of advantages to businesses by reducing both the amount of planning red tape and the cost of their rates. But it also generates benefits for the area as a whole since we are able to retain the business rates that are generated which can be used to improve the other five areas we have identified.”
The selected Enterprise Zone covers 70 hectares of land surrounding and to the north and east of Bristol Temple Meads Railway Station. Initial estimates suggest that potentially well over 250 businesses could be accommodated in the Zone and that its redevelopment will lead to the creation of almost 17,000 new jobs over a 25 year period. There will be a particular focus on attracting creative industries and technology, with the Zone acting as a hub for all creative minded businesses. The Enterprise Areas will be Avonmouth/Severnside, Bath City Riverside, Emersons Green/Science Park, Filton/A38, Weston Regeneration Area.
West of England LEP takes off
Forty–five guests from businesses across the private and public sector attended a presentation and discussion on the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) for The West of England recently at Bristol International Airport.
The event, organised by North Somerset Enterprise Agency which supports start-up and growing businesses, brought together employers and senior representatives from the local council and other organisations to hear about the role of the LEP from Robert Sinclair, chief executive of Bristol Airport. In response Sue Turner, director of communications at the Bristol Port Company, presented on the key business needs in North Somerset. Calls to action included quickly agreeing a distinctive focus for the Weston regeneration area in order to attract new jobs and put the area on the map. This is one of the key growth areas in the West of England and as such has just been designated one of the new West of England ‘Enterprise Areas’ by the LEP board.
Business West Update SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011
Sue Turner highlighted some of the needs of local businesses including further education provision to ensure students are ready for employment, access to finance and good transport links. The need to treat North Somerset differently to Bristol because of its particular characteristics and needs was also highlighted.
Angela Hicks, chief executive at North Somerset Enterprise Agency, said: “I am encouraged that LEP for the West of England is willing to listen. It is a new business led approach to encouraging economic growth and is an organisation that I think wants to get things done, is fit for purpose and has good ideas to raise the profile of the West of England. I hope that many more businesses and organisations across the region will get involved as it moves forward.”
Local businesses and organisations who would like to get involved and make their comments heard can visit the LEP website
www.westofenglandlep.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32