New Year excitement as Prime Minister David Cameron visits Hereford Enterprise Zone
David Cameron will be touring the UK Enterprise Zones with an early 2012 visit to Jesse Norman and the Hereford Enterprise Zone in Rotherwas on January 5th
Senior members of the Hereford business community, the Enterprise Zone Board and local Conservatives will be in attendance while the Prime Minister tours the site for the Herefordshire Enterprise Zone and views the route for the proposed new bridge across the river Wye East of the City of Hereford.
“It’s a great boost for Herefordshire that the PM is taking this seriously enough to visit so early in 2012”.
Hereford Enterprise Zone Northern Magazine asbestos removal ahead of schedule
Great news is emerging as the asbestos removal and ground preparations are running ahead of schedule.
Asbestos Removal on Hereford Enterprise Zone nearly complete
With so much asbestos contamination it was thought it could take until the new year to identify and remove all contamination. However perfect weather and clear land following the land clearance of recent years has made it possible to complete the clearance well ahead of time with contractors thought to be off site as early as next month.
Great news for businesses looking to develop premises in the Enterprise Zone and make use of everything that Rotherwas and Herefordshire has to offer.
Energy behind the new brand for Herefordshire – Here You Can have an Enterprise Zone
Reports today are all around the launch of a new brand for Herefordshire – Here You Can. This will feed into areas such as INVEST YOU CAN for inward investment.
There will be derivatives for tourism, manufacturing, construction and the voluntary sector.
In addition a bull outline will form part of the logo.
Jesse Norman at Hereford Enterprise Business Summit
With days to go there are still spaces available at the Herefordshire Enterprise Summit next week announced by Jesse Norman.
Jesse Norman performing
With an A list of local politicians both from Westminster and Brockington, including Jesse Norman, business leaders are expecting a treat of a debate. There are still seats available at time of going to press and it is expected that pressure will be brought on the development of river crossings both East and West of the City.
There is a feeling amongst the well connected that with monies coming from the Hereford Enterprise Zone and from housing developers, it is possible to ring fence £80M for the Eastern route of around 4 miles and a further £200m for the full bypass to the West of the city.
Hereford Enterprise Zone makes Herefordshire “the most investable place in Britain”
Our research this week shows Herefordshire with its planned and approved Enterprise Zone is among the most investable places in Britain.
Only Manchester and the traditional financial heartlands of the South East challenge rural Herefordshire for the opportunity to invest.
Cllr Jarvis Leader of Herefordshire Council with a single seat majority
Conservative pressure has had a tremendous effect in Herefordshire since Jesse Norman took the seat from the Lib Dems at the last election. In addition Herefordshire Council is also tory controlled but with only a single seat majority.
For all investment and support enquiries please enquire as a reply to the editor.
Herefordshire Business Summit
Herefordshire Business Summit Invitation from Jesse Norman MP below – relevant to anyone looking to invest in the future of Herefordshire and in particular the architecture and development of the Hereford Enterprise Zone.
Tuesday 27 September at The Courtyard Theatre, Edgar Street Hereford, HR4 9JR
0830 Registration and coffee
0900 Introduction & Welcome
Cllr John Jarvis – Leader, Herefordshire Council
0915 Herefordshire – an Enterprising County
Cllr Roger Phillips – Cabinet Member, Economic Development, Herefordshire Council Herefordshire Council has ambitious plans to increase the wealth of the County through the growth of existing businesses and by attracting new investors
0935 Confidence and Identity
Neil Kerr – Chairman, Herefordshire Business Board, Marches LEP HBB has already achieved great success with the new Enterprise Zone. Here Neil Kerr introduces its new branding and distinctive identity for Herefordshire, focused on competitive advantage
0955 Hereford Enterprise Zone – an introduction
Ray Stone – Chairman, Hereford EZ Ltd
As a catalyst for enhanced economic growth the EZ will accelerate demographic change and become a platform for higher technology enterprises
1015 Questions and discussion with the panel of speakers
1045 Coffee
1115 The Government’s Agenda – Driving Economic Growth
Jesse Norman MP – Hereford and South Herefordshire Jesse will be talking about the county, the economy and Government plans to promote economic growth
1130 Forum: Growth & success – how can government, locally and nationally, help business?
Panel: Jesse Norman MP, Bill Wiggin MP, John Jarvis, Roger Phillips Provoked by Lucy Armstrong (Chair, CBI’s SME Council) and two Herefordshire Entrepreneurs Chris Marshall (CEO, GRC Ltd) & Lucy Wood (founder of Woods of Whitchurch), the audience shares its ideas as to what more needs to do be done to help accelerate growth in the County.
1300 Concluding Remarks
Jesse Norman MP
1310 Buffet Lunch
Organised by the Herefordshire Conservative Business Forum £20 per person, to include refreshments on arrival & mid-morning followed by finger-buffet lunch
Concerns over Hereford Enterprise Zone compromising Herefordshire Safety misplaced
Realisation that the “Security and defence” focus of the Hereford Enterprise
Hereford Security Focus
Zone may bring some of the biggest names in weapons and arms to Herefordshire has caused some to voice concerns.
The concerns are twofold: Firstly, that there will be increased security risk to Hereford and the people of Herefordshire. Secondly, that the Enterprise Zone will be seen negatively in that Herefordshire is in some way arming the world.
With Herefordshires long standing discreet relationship with the armed forces these concerns should not prevent investors taking seriously the opportunity to invest in Herefordshire.
For advice and assistance for investors and businesses considering Herefordshire please reply to this post. No replies will be posted on line but all will be dealt with discreetly.
News -Support for Businesses interested in re-locating to Hereford Enterprise Zone
Great news for businesses looking to re-locate to Herefordshire. The Hereford Enterprise Zone – Rotherwas, Herefordshire will be available for construction during 2012.
There is flood mitigation to be completed and planning to be completed but with landlords offering land on lease and purchase there is a real opportunity to relocate to Hereford.
A team of qualified advisors are available to help investors and business boards to maximise this opportunity.
If you need help before 2012 there are sites available NOW in Hereford and Herefordshire suitable for a range of planning opportunities. Please get in touch to find out more. Hereford has an Enterprise Zone and Herefordshire is an Enterprising Zone. Contact by repling to this post with contact details. Your reply will not be published.
Vince Cables reaction to Hereford Enterprise Zone, Rotherwas
“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.”
Reaction to Humber, Hereford and other Enterprise Zones from Lincolnshire
THE government has announced the locations for 11 new Enterprise Zones in England to boost economic growth.
Whilst North East Lincolnshire Council is delighted to hear that the Humber Estuary Renewable Energy Super Cluster bid has been successful, there is disappointment that the bid for a South Humber Bank Gateway Enterprise Zone, supported by the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, has not been approved.
The proposals would have accelerated the development of a number of key economic developments and strengthened business sectors in the Greater Lincolnshire area.
Councillor Chris Shaw, leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “I am more than disappointed at today’s announcement. Yet again the economic prospects and opportunities of North East Lincolnshire appear to have been overlooked in a major new government initiative.
“Although this decision is a blow to us, I am absolutely confident that Grimsby’s location and competitive advantage will ensure the town’s continued success. Grimsby is the closest port to the wind farms off the east coast of Britain and we have the infrastructure, engineering sector and workforce ready and able to maintain these facilities.”
Ursula Lidbetter, chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, shared the views of Councillor Shaw: “This is very disappointing news for the business community of Greater Lincolnshire. However, we are pleased to hear the Humber Enterprise Zone has been successful.
“We have also received the fantastic news that the area is in-line for a share of government funding which has been announced to enable ‘superfast’ broadband internet connections. This will be of huge benefit to businesses and residents alike.
“We remain well placed to take advantage of the opportunities in the renewables and food processing industries and we look forward to working even more closely with the Humber LEP to maximise the benefit of this important new initiative to the wider area.”
Marc Cole, executive director regeneration at the council, concluded: “We need to see this announcement in the context of the significant investment that is already taking place. We already have an established renewable energy operations and maintenance industry based at the Port of Grimsby.
“In terms of food processing, over 80 per cent of the UK’s food processing production takes place in Grimsby, with brand leaders and celebrity chef’s associated with Grimsby fish. We have an active business-led trade development group opening new markets all the time. There is so much to be proud of and for us to continue to build on.
“I am pleased to see at least one enterprise zone in the Humber region and I look forward to seeing the significant benefits we will receive as a result of the Humber Estuary Renewable Energy Super Cluster Enterprise Zone.”
Hereford Enterprise Zone, Rotherwas Herefordshire – what’s the offer
Rotherwas Enterprise Zone – in Hereford led by the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership proposes:
- Size: three sites covering 61.5 hectares;
- Sector focus: defence, advanced engineering, green technologies and food processing;
- Tax break: Save business £4 million in forgone business rates;
- Job creation: Local Enterprise Partnership estimates at least 55 businesses and 1,800 jobs will be created by 2015;
- Planning: Simplified regime to provide certainty for business wanting to build;
- Broadband: Wireless service 20MB line speeds but can deliver 100MB speeds. A fibre optic option available through the Hereford BDUK Superfast Broadband project (up to 100MB) by 2013;
- Investment: Expecting at least £90m from the private sector by 2015.
Science Vale UK Oxford Enterprise Zone shows the way forward for Herefords Rotherwas Enterprise Zone
Already globally competitive, Science Vale UK, the county’s science and technology heart, is larger than that of Cambridge and, indeed, larger even than that of MIT in the USA. This concentration is just part of the R&D on offer here in Oxfordshire. Indeed, we have the largest concentration of research and development activity in Western Europe. In total the Science Vale area contains 13% of all research and development employment in the south east (4% nationally).
As part of Science Vale UK, the Harwell Oxford Campus is being developed as a world-class centre for science, innovation and enterprise. Home to the Science and Technology Facilities Council, the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, the Medical Research Council and the European Space Agency Space Centre, Harwell has more than 4,500 people working in over 140 organisations comprising large-scale research councils, high technology companies and a range of rapidly growing start-ups.
The opening of the European Space Agency’s UK base at Harwell sparked the opportunity for the UK to develop a global space hub – the £40m International Space Innovation Centre (ISIC) will create 700 new jobs and lever in £11.5m of private sector investment.
Elsewhere within Science Vale UK, Culham is home to the UK’s fusion research programme – the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE) – as well as the world’s largest fusion experimental facility – the Joint European Torus (JET). While Milton Park, one of Europe’s largest multi-use business parks, is home to more than 160 companies that form one of the UK’s foremost science communities. The 6,500 people on the site work for companies of all sizes and ambitions, ranging from start-ups to world-class plcs with particular strengths in the biotech and ICT sectors.
The science and innovation based R&D facilities clustered within Science Vale UK form the basis of a National Centre of Excellence. This cluster is at the heart of a network that extends across the UK and we will work with the Technology Strategy Board to provide national leadership in the development of this sector.
Find out more about Science Vale UK.
Hereford Enterprise Zone jobs news
With a target of in excess of 6,ooo new jobs to be created, Hereford Enterprise Zone is creating interest with companies not only from across the country but from Australia, China, the Middle East and in particular North America.
The non-displacement rule prohibits the re-location of businesses in an area and this extends to potential businesses closures in other parts of the country to open a business on an Enterprise Park. This does mean that businesses local to an Enterprise Zone such as Rotherwas and the Hereford Enterprise Zone may find themselves up against imported competition benefiting from improved broadband, top quality infrastructure and £250,000 worth of benefits through rates.
The reality is though that with new business comes improved standards of living and job opportunities.
Hereford Enterprise Zone Announced
Prime Minister David Cameron has announced a second wave of Enterprise Zones designed to kick-start Britain’s economy.
External site: Department for Communities and Local Government – Enterprise Zones
External site: Transcript of the PM’s speech in Daresbury
Mr Cameron said the sites, which aim to boost local growth and create over 30,000 new jobs by 2015, would be “trailblazers” for prosperity throughout the country.
The second wave of Enterprise Zone will be located in:
- Humber Estuary Renewable Energy Super Cluster;
- Daresbury Science Campus in 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; and
- Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, and Lowestoft in Suffolk.
The Government named the first 11 zones in the Spring, in cities including Manchester, Birmingham and Newcastle.
This brings the total to 22 across the country. The Zones will attract hundreds of new start up firms, with simplified planning rules, super-fast broadband and over £150 million tax breaks for new businesses over the next 4 years.
The PM said:
“We are determined to do everything we can to make Britain the best place in the world to start and grow a business.
“Enterprise zones are a major step towards delivering this, cutting business taxes, easing planning restrictions and giving business the tools they need to invest and expand.
“These new enterprise zones will be trailblazers for growth, jobs and prosperity throughout the country.”
Alongside the new Zones, the Government is also announcing today that it will make enhanced capital allowances available for plant and machinery investment to a limited number of Enterprise Zones in Assisted Areas, including the Tees Valley and North East.
With effect from 2012, companies setting up in these areas will be eligible to claim enhanced first year allowances for plant and machinery, giving them an upfront cash flow benefit.
The introduction of Enterprise Zones is just one of over 100 reforms being taken forward as part of the Government’s Plan for Growth, announced in the Chancellor’s Budget 2011, to create the conditions for strong, sustainable and balanced growth.
Hereford Enterprise Zone 