Swindon & Wiltshire News
Business and political leaders showcase regions at investment event
Business and political leaders from across the West will showcasing the region at a major UK summit this week.
The West of England Mayor and Swindon Borough Council will both be pitching the area to investors at the UK’s Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) in Leeds from Tuesday to Thursday.
The country’s fastest-growing regional economy, The West of England – Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, and South Gloucestershire – will highlight its five growth zones and enormous further economic potential, to create more new jobs and build more new homes.
These growth zones were first announced in last year’s regional Growth Strategy, which set out ambitious plans to create 72,000 new jobs and 28 per cent growth over the next ten years.
In the last decade, the West of England has created 100,000 new jobs. Since 2019, the region’s economy has grown four times faster than the national average. In 2023, the West grew by almost three per cent – outperforming every other combined authority area and London.
A new Investment Prospectus, published in time for the UK’s Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) this week in Leeds, sets out opportunities for investors for projects including:
- Bristol Temple Quarter and Brabazon & the West Innovation Arc new town in South Gloucestershire and north Bristol: multi-billion-pound developments offer the chance for 50,000 new homes and tens of thousands of new jobs, with two cities and one new town linked in minutes by train including the Bath Riverside Innovation District
- Transport infrastructure: mass transit, with plans backed by record funding from government, to transform how people can move around and open up new corridors for development, as part of the region’s Transport Vision
- A £500 million Future Places Fund, to enable early acquisition of land for development across the region
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said: “The West of England is the fastest-growing region economically but we can do even better – especially on transport.
“That’s why it’s important that, as well as championing the exciting investment opportunities offered for building new homes to tackle the housing crisis, we also go to national and international investors to highlight what transport improvements can deliver.
“With the right backing, we can cut congestion, speed up travel, and increase people’s quality of life. We have already secured record investment from national government in transport – more than three-quarters of a billion pounds – and know what a difference further private and public investment in our area can make to unlock more new jobs and more economic growth.”
Meanwhile, Swindon Borough Council will be setting out a new investment prospectus setting out an ambition to deliver innovation-led, sustainable growth, underpinned by Swindon’s strategic location on the M4 corridor.
With direct rail links to London, Bristol and Cardiff, the team will tell major property and infrastructure investors that Swindon offers a nationally-significant location with strong foundations for growth.
The town is already home to global businesses including Nationwide Building Society, Zurich Insurance, RWE and Thermo Fisher Scientific, reflecting its strength across financial services, advanced manufacturing and innovation sectors. Swindon is also developing a reputation as a national defence tech hub with several drone companies having announced they plan to set up operations in the Borough.
The Council will showcase a number of investment opportunities at UKREiiF across the town centre and beyond.
Among them is Knowledge Central, a regeneration site next to Swindon’s railway station, offering the potential for up to 4,000 new homes alongside commercial space, research facilities and a new innovation district.
The current town centre brownfield site at Kimmerfields, next to Fleming Way, also provides opportunities for residential and commercial development alongside Swindon’s proposed new entertainment venue, which is expected to drive further footfall and economic growth after it was recently awarded £20m in government funding.
Matt Peachey, Swindon Borough Council’s Director of Inclusive Growth, said: “Swindon is a town with a proud history and an exciting future. Our new investment prospectus sets out a clear vision for sustainable growth, backed by real opportunities.
“UKREiiF gives us the perfect platform to showcase everything Swindon has to offer. We’re looking forward to working with partners who share our ambition to unlock the town’s full potential.”
