£9 million Newport business park delights council leader

Telford & Wrekin Council bosses said the Newport Enterprise Package would 'play a very major role in the borough's economic development and rapid growth'.

The £9.3million funding for the Newport Enterprise package will provide spaces for start-ups, small businesses and larger companies, and is expected to create up to 950 full-time jobs.

The work will begin on the new site off the A518 in the 2018/2019 financial year, and is possible after a bid by the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership to secure funding through the Government's Midlands Engine Strategy and Telford & Wrekin Council.

Council leader Shaun Davies said: "This is more great news for the borough and the region and will create a crucial employment site in the Newport area which will give a real boost to business and employment in the town and for the agri-tech sector the site will serve.

"This is another significant investment by the Council into Newport. Last year we took on the Audley Avenue Enterprise Park ensuring its remains for business use, keeping hundreds of jobs in Newport.

"We now want to begin work on this new site in the 2018/19 financial year and bring employment land forward as quickly as possible. It's another major economic boost for the borough, another signal how it is on the up and recognition by the Midlands Engine of the key role we have to play in driving growth."

Dr David Llewellyn, vice chancellor of Harper Adams University, added: "By working with the Local Authority and the Marches LEP, with the welcome support of Newport Town Council, we are delighted that the Growth Deal funding announcement will make it possible to embark on the next phase of our plans to create an agri-tech innovation park at the edge of Newport.

"The aim of this joint initiative is to put Telford & Wrekin's economy at the heart of a new industry sector. Not only will this development bring the potential for new jobs and economic growth, but it will also support research and innovation for the agri-food industry, a theme that will feature strongly in the UK's food and farming strategy."

Newport Councillor Tim Nelson said: "Newport is ideally placed for new businesses and employment, with its key advantages of great communications, good quality housing and fantastic education. There are particular and exciting opportunities to leverage the close ties the town has with Harper Adams university, situated on the doorstep. Harper Adams is a National and international leader in agri tech and agri engineering, and the Newport business park is the ideal place to nurture the business giants of the future."

Graham Wynn OBE, Chairman of the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership, said: "We want to create high quality jobs and the economic conditions for businesses to flourish - this funding will help us do exactly that. Investment in developing a highly skilled workforce and will help our businesses to grow, inspire them to innovate and in turn, create even more jobs.

"Working with our local authority partners in Herefordshire, Shropshire, and Telford and Wrekin, we have a strong track record in delivering schemes which really make a difference to the lives of people who live and work here.

"We're looking forward to meeting in the coming weeks to decide on funding and progress with these new projects."

The package is also set to kickstart delivery of more than 1,000 new houses, including starter homes, in the Newport area. Another £1.9m will go towards funding the ongoing redevelopment of The Shrewsbury Flax Mill Maltings.

Councillor Malcolm Pate, Leader of Shropshire Council said: "Shropshire Council is committed to work in partnership with Historic England and the Friends of Flaxmill Maltings to bring this internationally important industrial heritage site back to life. We're delighted that Marches LEP has recognised the importance of the site and awarded this funding towards the site's redevelopment."

Historic England's director of planning Chris Smith said: "We are delighted that the Marches LEP have provided us with this opportunity to bring forward housing and growth on our site in Shrewsbury.

"At the heart of the complex stands the Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings, the world's first cast iron framed building, where we will be on site from May 2017 repairing the building and preparing it for it's third century of use."