Bristol enterprise zone funding boosted by £6 million
29 May 2014 03:00 PM
Bristol awarded funding as part of a £23
million national urban redevelopment and new business
fund.
Bristol was yesterday (28 May 2014) awarded £6
million from government as part of a £23 million fund to encourage
further urban redevelopment and new business creation nationally, bringing
total funding to date for the Bristol Temple Quarter enterprise zone to
£17 million.
Speaking yesterday in Bristol Minister for Communities
and Bristol West MP Stephen Williams said:
Bristol city centre has already been transformed through
the government and local enterprise zone’s support for the area, with run
down buildings redeveloped and turned into thriving
businesses.
This transformation has helped create 900 new jobs
locally, through success stories such as the Engine Shed new business
development area. I want to keep up this pace of transformation, and the new
£6 million of funding announced today will help more neglected areas
within the city centre to be bought up, redeveloped and opened up again for
business.
Bristol’s enterprise zone has already encouraged
80 companies to move into the area, in new developments such as the Engine
Shed, Temple Studios, the expansion of Paintworks and the office development at
2 Glass Wharf. There are several other sites ready for new development. The
money will enable the redevelopment of additional underused and derelict land
and encourage further businesses to open in the area.
The
future transformation of the area is set to include the construction of the
12,000 capacity Bristol Arena and a new bridge over the River Avon, to improve
local transport as well as access to the arena. Work on the bridge also started
yesterday, with Stephen Williams and Bristol Deputy Mayor Geoff Gollop
present.
Speaking at the bridge
ground breaking ceremony Stephen Williams said:
Part of the ongoing transformation of the city centre is
the planned building of Bristol Arena, giving the city its first world class
entertainment venue, supported by the council, enterprise partnership and
government. The work on this new bridge over the Avon will vastly improve
access to the arena, and I’m very proud to take the first step towards
its construction, albeit a very small one!
£11 million of funding has been allocated from the
government’s Homes and Communities Agency for the construction of the new
vehicle and pedestrian bridge connecting Bristol Temple Meads station to the
Diesel Depot site for the proposed Bristol Arena. With yesterday’s
additional £6 million government funding this brings total Bristol
enterprise zone funding to £17 million.
Geoff Gollop, Deputy Mayor of Bristol
said:
This £6 million government capital funding for the
Bristol Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone is in response to a specific request to
government and is extremely good news. It is yet another example of Bristol
being recognised nationally as making solid progress with its regeneration
plans. This particular funding will enable us to bring forward development and
jobs in the enterprise zone which in turn will bring further investment to the
city. I also welcome the work commencing on the bridge to Arena Island which is
set to bring so much more than the arena itself which is already proving a
significant catalyst for development in the enterprise zone and will give a
huge boost to the city region.
David Warburton, Homes and Communities Agency Head of
Area, added:
This work is a clear signal of the Homes and Communities
Agency’s support for partners’ plans to bring new jobs and economic
growth to Bristol. It supports the council and local enterprise
partnership’s vision for an arena on the site, which has the potential to
generate a huge number of jobs.
The
Homes and Communities Agency has worked hard to secure the investment and agree
the terms needed to progress this work and it is great news for the city that
this work is underway.
Manchester, Leicestershire and East Anglia were also awarded
enterprise zone funding.
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