The go-ahead for a new enterprise zone spread across ten locations including sites in Ipswich, Norwich, Bury and King’s Lynn and an extension of the existing zone in Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft was announced in the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement this week.
The new zone – where firms receive business rate discounts, simplified planning and access to superfast broadband – are expected to help create 18,500 jobs in Norfolk and Suffolk over 25 years including 5,000 jobs by 2021. The extension of the Gt Yarmouth and Lowestoft (New Anglia) zone will make space for an extra 30 firms and over 1200 jobs.
Under the “Space to Innovate” theme, each site will focus on the counties’ key innovation sectors and supply chains such as agri-tech, food and health, offshore energy, ICT and digital and creative sectors and the green economy.
The hope is that the new sites will act as a magnet to attract new businesses, particularly overseas firms, looking to capitalise on the counties’ expertise in the various sectors and will link with innovation centres, universities and the New Anglia Growth Hub. The Norfolk and Suffolk bid was submitted by New Anglia LEP in September 2015, working with local authorities and other delivery partners.
The sites, which will be ready for development in March 2016, are based in rural locations and smaller towns, as well as Ipswich and Norwich, to spread economic benefits across the two counties.
The ten locations are:
Norwich Research Park, Norfolk - a 25 hectare site next to the B1108, south of Norwich. Enterprise Zone status will help support spin-out businesses in the food, health and plant science sectors
Suffolk Business Park, Bury St Edmunds – a 14 hectare site on a new business park which will be developed to the east of Moreton Hall.
North Norfolk
• Scottow Enterprise Park in Coltishall, - a rural site of 26 hectares to the south of Scottow and Lamas Roads, where part of the site will have Enterprise Zone status to focus on businesses in the creative digital and low carbon sectors.
• Egmere Business Zone - a 7.4 hectare rural site south of Wells-Next-The-Sea which will focus on the Offshore Energy sector. It is located close to the Sheringham Shoal windfarm and two further windfarms being developed off the coastline
Greater Ipswich, Suffolk – a cluster of sites to support the delivery of the newly developed Ipswich Vision, the blueprint for the regeneration of the town.
• Futura Business Park - a 10 hectare site to the east of the town to help focus on higher value and more productive sectors and prevent displacement of retail from the town centre.
• Princes St - a 2.9 hectare office corridor which connects the railway station with the town centre and will focus on ICT, digital and professional services businesses.
• Sproughton Road – a 14 hectare site between the A14 and Sproughton Road, in the Babergh district area provides excellent access to the A14 and huge potential for businesses in the agri-tech, food and health sectors as well as their supply chains
• Waterfront Island - Two hectares of port land separating the Wet Dock from the tidal river with part of the Island given Enterprise Zone designation
Nar Ouse Business Park in King’s Lynn, Norfolk - a 12.4 hectare site on the southern edge of the town adjacent to the A47, that will link to the King’s Lynn Innovation Centre, currently under construction. This will stimulate new businesses and attract international businesses in the agri-tech, engineering and food production sectors.
Mill Lane Business & Enterprise Park in Stowmarket, Suffolk – a 17 hectare extension of the existing Food Enterprise Zone, located on the edge of the town, with strong links to existing local food manufacturers
The Enterprise Zone will also link with three new Food Enterprise Zones in Suffolk and Norfolk, which were announced in March 2015, and will create vital economic hubs for the industry. The Orwell and Gipping Valley Food Cluster in Suffolk and Greater Norwich Food Cluster in Norfolk, will increase collaboration between the food, drink and agricultural sectors, bring better connectivity to the supply chain and encourage greater links with skills and agri-tech research.
The extension to the existing Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft (New Anglia) Enterprise Zone, covers existing sites at Beacon Park and South Denes Energy Park in Great Yarmouth, and Mobbs Way and Riverside Road in Lowestoft.
This zone has been developed to help energy-related companies and their supply chain grow across six sites in Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth and has delivered more than 1800 jobs over 3 years.
Mark Pendlington, Chairman of New Anglia LEP said: “This is fantastic news for companies locally, nationally and internationally looking to capitalise on the expertise of the East – from world-class food and health research, our thriving all-energy sector and innovation in ICT and digital - this zone will be a magnet for inward investment, help create thousands of jobs and drive our productivity.
“A great boost for businesses and another great economic prize, deservedly won by Norfolk and Suffolk.”
David Ellesmere, leader, Ipswich Borough Council, said: “This is a big vote of confidence in Ipswich as a great place to invest and do business. The announcement of new Enterprise Zones at Sproughton, Futura Park, Princes Street and the Island site will help bring millions of pounds and hundreds of new jobs to Ipswich.”
Sally Ann Forsyth, Chief Executive Officer, Norwich Research Park said: “We are absolutely delighted Enterprise Zone status has been granted. It will help to further strengthen our position as a world leading location for research, innovation and business, and provide a significantly enhanced offer in terms of the global competitiveness of the Park.”
Cambs cluster of enterprise zones
Meanwhile, a cluster of local development sites in Cambs have been given enterprise zone status including sites in Waterbeach, Haverhill, Ely, Cambourne, and Northstowe.
Mark Reeve, chairman of the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough LEP, said: “Securing Enterprise Zone status for the Cambridge Compass is a real boost for the local economy. We know that businesses, particularly international ones, want a base in Cambridge, which can drive up local rents and constrain supply. By drawing these sites together under the Cambridge Compass Enterprise Zone, we can provide a unique proposition to national and international companies looking for a new place to locate their businesses, drawing out the benefits of Cambridge to the surrounding area.
The site includes within the Cambridge Compass Enterprise Zone are as follows:
- Cambridge Research Park, Waterbeach – Located close to Cambridge, this site offers 9 hectares of serviced employment land
- Haverhill Research Park – Situated to the south east of Cambridge on the A1307, Haverhill Research Park offers 37,000 sq m of commercial space
- Lancaster Way, Ely – Located north of Cambridge on the A10 growth corridor and main train line to Cambridge and London, Lancaster Way has outline consent to construct up to 125,000 sq m of additional office, R&D, industrial or warehouse and distribution accommodation to suit occupiers requirements
- Cambourne Business Park – Located to the west of Cambridge, Cambourne Business Park provides a unique opportunity for a new business environment within a growing new settlement where homes and jobs are co-located
- Northstowe, Phase 1 – Conveniently located close to Cambridge off the A14 and on the Guided Busway, this development is the first phase of employment land within Northstowe (which will be the largest new town to be built since Milton Keynes)
The Cambridge Compass Enterprise Zone will come into effect from 1st April 2016, with the 100% business rates discount on offer to new occupiers until 31st March 2022.
The proposal was developed by the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough LEP and submitted