New ‘Enterprise Areas’ to drive jobs growth

Conservative councillors have welcomed the formal designation of three flagship ‘Enterprise Areas’ at Filton, Emersons Green and Severnside in South Gloucestershire.

At the first meeting of the Policy and Resources Committee earlier this week, councillors voted to create Enterprise Areas to drive sustainable economic growth locally in line with the council’s future development vision set out in its ‘Core Strategy’.

These three Enterprise Areas are:

• Filton (including the soon-to-be-disused airfield) is a 95ha employment zone with a potential job growth of 7,000 – 12,000, which will focus on aerospace, advanced engineering and manufacturing;
• Emersons Green (including the Science Park and National Composites Centre) is a 45ha employment zone with a potential job growth of 4,000 – 7,000, which will focus on science, composites and creative and digital media; and
• Severnside (including land covered by 1957/58 planning permission) is a 462ha employment zone with a potential job growth of 4,000 – 8,000, which will focus on warehousing, industrial and environmental technologies.

Alongside this initiative, the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership (which includes South Gloucestershire Council as well as local businesses) is developing a unified inward investment service to ensure that the local area can compete nationally and internationally against other recognised and emerging investment locations.

Stoke Gifford Councillor Brian Allinson (Con), who is Chairman of the council’s Planning, Transportation and Strategic Environment Committee, said:

“Our ambition is for these Enterprise Areas to act as magnets for inward investment, boost the local economy and drive a strong economic recovery by creating thousands of new jobs.”

“By designating and then developing a vision for each Enterprise Area, we can ensure that they become integral to the surrounding area and the benefits of investment in infrastructure, job creation and skills are felt by our local communities.”

Cllr Robert Griffin, (Con, Pilning & Severn Beach) who has been leading the campaign for a new M49 junction to serve the Severnside area, added:

“I very much welcome the council’s aim for Enterprise Area status to encourage targeted investment in improved infrastructure because not only would this unlock the potential of each Enterprise Area, but it would have wider benefits too.”

“In Severnside’s case, I’m optimistic that this designation is an important step forward in our ongoing campaign for a new M49 junction to relieve the pressure of ever-increasing HGV traffic on our local road network.”

Source: Conservative Group on South Gloucestershire Council