Inward investment chiefs take East Midlands message to London

East Midlands Airport, Invest in Nottingham, Marketing Derby, Derbyshire Economic Partnership, Destination Chesterfield and Leicester City Council have joined forces to promote development sites across the East Midlands, at an event in London yesterday (Tuesday 26 September).

Supported by the European Regional Development Fund, Sitematch East Midlands was an opportunity for London-based property developers and investors to discover more about specific development opportunities in the East Midlands. Representatives from East Midlands Airport, Nottingham City Council, Nottinghamshire County Council, Derbyshire Economic Partnership, Marketing Derby, Leicester City Council and Leicestershire Enterprise Zones hosted meetings with delegates throughout the day.

This is the first Sitematch event for the East Midlands, and has been managed by 3Fox International. Some 35 developers attended, and the event will included general networking sessions and meetings for one-on-one discussions.

Andy Cliffe, managing director, at East Midlands Airport, said: “The East Midlands is ripe development potential. The region’s future is extremely bright what with proposed major infrastructure investment such as HS2, better intercity connectivity and the development of one of the country’s largest inland rail freight hubs. The foundations of future growth are already being laid. Here at the airport, the region’s gateway to Europe and beyond, we are planning for significant growth both in terms of passenger access to major oversees airport hubs and for our cargo output from which investors would significantly benefit.”

Marketing Derby and Derbyshire Economic Partnership showcased the latest investment opportunities from across Derby and Derbyshire.

John Forkin, managing director of Marketing Derby, said: “Over the last few years Derby has cemented itself as an attractive location for investment, with over £4.3 billion invested in the city. This shows no signs of slowing down, with £2.1 billion in the immediate investment pipeline.

“Recent research by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) highlighted Derby as the fastest growing economy in the East Midlands, and one of the UK’s top ten. This reaffirms the confidence in the level of investment Derby is experiencing.

“We recently launched Marketing Derby’s secondary base in the heart of London, and will be launching the London chapter of the Derby Ambassador Club soon. At Sitematch we’ll be highlighting the latest opportunities for investment in Derby and Derbyshire, including those sites showcased in the Derby City Centre Masterplan.”

Helen Donnellan, director of inward investment at Leicester City Council said: “Leicester has achieved international prominence through the discovery of the remains of KRIII and the world class reinternment event and Leicester City Football Club’s Premier League title success has firmly put the city on the global map.

“To build on the momentum and awareness of the city and county, we’ll be focusing on opportunities for both the city and the LLEP’s Enterprise Zones which we want to share with delegates at SiteMatch.”

Lorraine Baggs, head of inward investment at Invest in Nottingham, said: “We’ll be focusing on clear market-ready opportunities, and look forward to meeting with the interested parties attending. This is one of a number of events we’ve been part of in London this year, all with a focus on raising the profile of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire as a location ripe for investment opportunities.”

Dom Stevens, Destination Chesterfield manager said: “The announcement of an HS2 stop in Chesterfield and nearby maintenance depot have sparked a surge of interest in the town from all types of inward investor, including commercial developers and house-builders.

“Chesterfield’s location and connectivity within the East Midlands gives the town a unique appeal and this has already been recognised by many of those looking to invest. In the short term alone, more than £1bn of commercial and residential developments are set to come to fruition over the next five years, creating jobs and also bringing people to live in and visit the town.

“HS2 together with key developments like Markham Vale and the £320m Chesterfield Waterside and £400m Peak Resort sites, make Chesterfield an attractive addition to the wider East Midlands offering at the Site Match event.”