New enterprise zones announced
The Government announces 11 new Enterprise Zones to accelerate local growth, as part of the Plan for Growth.
The location of eleven new Enterprise Zones, designed to boost local growth and create over 30,000 new jobs by 2015, were announced today by the Prime Minister, David Cameron, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, and the Communities Secretary, Eric Pickles.
The second wave of Enterprise Zones will be located in:
- Humber Estuary Renewable Energy Super Cluster.
- Daresbury Science Campus near Runcorn and Warrington.
- Newquay AeroHub in Cornwall.
- The Solent Enterprise Zone at Daedalus Airfield in Gosport.
- MIRA Technology Park in Hinckley Leicestershire.
- Rotherwas Enterprise Zone in Hereford.
- Discovery Park in Sandwich, Kent and Enterprise West Essex in Harlow;
- Science Vale UK in Oxfordshire.
- Northampton Waterside.
- Alconbury Airfield, near Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire.
- Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, and Lowestoft in Suffolk.
Find out more at Communities and Local Government
Business Secretary, Vince Cable, said:
“Across England, these Zones will generate new jobs, investment in areas that can benefit, and develop high-tech products that will secure long-term sustainable prosperity.”
Discovery Park in Sandwich, Kent
The Government has also announced a major package of incentives for Discovery Park, Sandwich as part of the new Enterprise Zones.
The Enterprise Zone for Discovery Park will encourage new start up businesses and other investors with simplified planning rules and millions of pounds in tax breaks to promote growth.
This package could support up to 2,600 jobs and 190 businesses.
Universities and Science Minister David Willetts said:
“The new Enterprise Zone will provide a significant economic boost to the South East, creating jobs and helping many new businesses to start up and grow. This is great opportunity for new businesses locating in the area to take advantage of tax breaks and super-fast broadband.”
The Government also announced the allocation of funding for the UK’s broadband network yesterday, with English counties due to receive £294.8 million and Scotland £68.8 million.
Protecting the area
The announcement today complements the investment to strengthen flood defences for Sandwich town and Discovery Park. The works, scheduled to be completed in 2015, will increase the protection for the area to a one in 200, or 0.05% chance of flooding in any one year, securing a sustainable future for the area and for the town.
The scheme will increase the protection for 488 households, the new Discovery Park site, valuable infrastructure, including the main coastal access routes, and key tourist and employment areas. It is estimated to cost £25 million and will be funded by contributions from the Environment Agency, Kent County Council, and Pfizer as current owners of the Discovery Park site.
Continuning, David Willetts said:
“I welcome the decision by Kent County Council and Pfizer to work with the Environment Agency to safeguard the future of the Sandwich town and the Enterprise Zone area from flooding.
“Together, these announcements are a great achievement by the Sandwich Economic Task Force. The Government is keen to make use of the specialist skills in the area, and to maintain a life sciences hub in East Kent.
“This scheme will provide security to thousands of households and unlock another major economic opportunity.”
Communities and Local Government Minister Greg Clark, with responsibility for Enterprise Zones, said:
“The decision to award East Kent its Enterprise Zone status shows how much promise it has to deliver much needed new jobs and homes.”
“The people of Kent, its local businesses and civic leaders are ready to take up the reins of the local economy, with the Discovery Park at the centre of their plan to accelerate growth.”
Agreement to proceed to strengthen the flood defences is a key achievement from the Sandwich Economic Task Force, set up in February 2011 to respond to the announcement that Pfizer were leaving the Sandwich site, and act on wider economic development for East Kent.