Marches investment sites in spotlight at global expo

News from our partners The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP)

Key investment sites planned for development to create homes and jobs across the Marches are to be showcased next month at the biggest global property and real estate show in Europe.

The Marches LEP is part of the Midlands UK delegation at MIPIM in Cannes, where opportunities for investors in Shropshire, Herefordshire, and Telford & Wrekin will be highlighted.

Selling the region as “one of the best places in the UK to invest, live work and play”, the Marches LEP has worked with partners at the three councils to develop an exciting proposition for investors.

Flaxmill Maltings is one of the investment opportunities on offer

Development opportunities in the spotlight include the Flaxmill Maltings in Shrewsbury, the defence and security-focused Enterprize Zone at Skylon Park in Herefordshire, and an area of 200 acres of development-ready land in Telford.

LEP Chairman Graham Wynn OBE will join Midlands Engine Chairman Sir John Peace, other LEP and council leaders in Cannes during MIPIM which is held from Tuesday 13 March – Friday 16 March 2018.

Graham Wynn said:

“The Marches is one of the best places in the UK to invest, live, work and play. Our region is home to global players and established supply chains, demonstrated by the biggest single foreign investment in the UK in a decade in Magna Cosma in Telford.

“We have fantastic investment opportunities in our region, one of the most attractive locations in the UK to live and work. Global players including BAE Systems, Caterpillar, and Heineken have already chosen to base their operations here, where we offer a first-class business landscape and an outstanding quality of life.

“MIPIM gives us the chance to showcase what Shropshire, Herefordshire and Telford has to offer investors looking to locate in one of the fastest growing areas of the Midlands.”   

Nic Laurens, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for economic growth, said:

“Shropshire has many fantastic historic buildings and estates, creating an offer which is truly unique. We are excited to have the opportunity to showcase this on a global stage.”

A promotional film showcasing the development opportunities and the outstanding natural environment has been developed for MIPIM, as well as promotional brochures detailing investment sites.

Councillor Lee Carter, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development, said:

“We’re delighted that Telford is officially one of the fastest growing towns in the Midlands, where we have seen £1 billion of investment in the last decade. That’s why we’re pleased to be at MIPIM highlighting ready-to go development sites across 200 acres, the size of 166 football pitches, which form the Telford Investment Cluster.”

Shropshire is promoting its vision to creatively reuse its heritage buildings and estates for modern uses, making the county a unique and inspiring place in which to invest. As part of this, it has chosen to highlight the Flaxmill Maltings – the world first iron-framed building – which will be available to the market by 2021, providing four floors and 25,000 sq ft of luxury office space. It is also showcasing development opportunities in Oswestry, Whitchurch, the former Ironbridge Power Station, and Clive Barracks at Tern Hill.

In the south Marches region, investor interest in development-ready plots is already high at Skylon Park. Skylon is the only UK Enterprise Zone with a dedicated defence and security focus thanks to its proximity to the SAS base in Hereford and a cluster of nearly 100 businesses operating in the sector including nearby Quinetiq in Malvern and GCHQ in Cheltenham.

The prime development site within Skylon Park is the North Magazine, a 10 hectare plot benefiting from dedicated access and full land remediation.

The Marches LEP is joining other private and public sector partners including Greater Birmingham (Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country); Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County Council and Coventry & Warwickshire LEP; D2N2 (Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire); Lincoln & Lincolnshire; Leicester City Council and Leicester & Leicestershire LEP and Stoke-on-Trent at the dedicated Midlands Pavilion.

The region’s presence is being co-ordinated by the West Midlands Growth Company, together with the Department for International Trade (DIT) and partners including transport hubs Birmingham Airport and East Midlands Airport, automotive giant Jaguar Land Rover and the Midlands Enterprise Universities group.

For a 1-minute video promoting the Marches which will be screened as part of the Midlands UK showreel at MIPIM click here.

About the Marches LEP 

• The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is driving accelerated economic growth through investment in innovation, higher level skills, housing and business sites across the region.  It aims to deliver 70,000 homes and 40,000 jobs by 2031.
• The Marches region, which includes Shropshire, Herefordshire, and Telford & Wrekin, is a dynamic business region where entrepreneurs flourish alongside global players. Covering 2,300 sq miles and with a growing population of 666,700, it is home to 29,800 businesses and a £12.3 billion economy.
• Bordered by the West Midlands to the east and Wales to the west, the Marches’ key centres of population and employment are the city of Hereford and thriving towns of Shrewsbury and Telford.  A network of 25 smaller market towns and a large rural area make up the rest of the settlement mix – with the Marches recognised as being one of the most enterprising regions in the UK.
• High profile businesses which have chosen to base operations here include BAE Defence Systems; GKN; Westons Cider; Grainger & Worrall; Stadco; Caterpillar; Mϋller Dairy UK, Doncasters Aerospace, Denso, Capgemini, Ricoh, Cargill, Heineken, Grocontinental, McConnels, Kerry Ingredients, Special Metals, Kingspan and Makita.
• The Marches is also home to centres of excellence and institutions which promote and foster the transfer of knowledge including Harper Adams University and its National Centre for Precision Farming, University Centre Shrewsbury, the University of Wolverhampton campus and e-innovation centre at Priorslee, and Food Enterprise Centre in Shrewsbury.
• The designated Enterprise Zone of the Marches LEP is in Hereford, at Skylon Park. It is the only Enterprise Zone in England with a unique defence and security sector focus, drawing on the city’s heritage as the home of the SAS.
• The LEP area is home to some iconic places of interest. The Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site, the Shropshire Hills and the Wye Valley Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Offa’s Dyke, the rivers Severn and Wye, and places of national renown including Ludlow and Ross-on-Wye make it a highly popular place to both visit and relocate to.
• The Marches has a diverse business base and is recognised for its sector strength in advanced manufacturing and engineering; agri-food and drink; automotive and defence and security.
• Business support in the Marches is offered via the Marches Growth Hub, a business-friendly website at www.marchesgrowthhub.co.uk and helpline on 0345 6000 727, developed by the LEP.

You can learn more about the Marches LEP at www.marcheslep.org.uk and contact the LEP by emailing enquiries@marcheslep.org.uk