Daresbury benefits from enterprise zone push
THE Government has awarded an extra £3.5m towards extra space at Sci-Tech Daresbury and will allow the universities of Manchester and Liverpool to apply to a new £15m university enterprise zone fund.
The measures are part of a £415m package announced today which are designed to support regional businesses. Around £100m will go to infrastructure projects within enterprise zones.
Liverpool and Manchester are among eight universities that can bid for part of a £15m fund first announced in December. Whereas existing zones offer discounted business rates and high-speed broadband, university zones will be supported with funding for small business space.
The money for Sci-Tech will contribute to the construction of the 60,000 sq ft Techspace block, which will have offices and lab space for pioneering science and technology companies.
Sci-Tech, a joint venture between Newton-le-Willows-based developer Langtree, the Science and Technology Facilities Council and Halton Borough Council, has already secured £7.36m for the scheme from the third round of the Regional Growth Fund. A further £1.8m loan has been committed by the Growing Places Fund.
John Downes, Langtree’s managing director, said: “We are delighted to receive this award of up to £3.58m from the Enterprise Zone capital grant fund. This comes on top of £7.36m of funding already approved from the Regional Growth Fund last year and both awards form part of a total investment package in the region of £30m that will commence on site at Sci-Tech Daresbury this year.
“We are very excited about our imminent investment proposals and there is no doubt that they will be a key milestone in the further development of the campus.”
The Government has also committed £300m to give 300,000 retail businesses a £1,000 business rates discount. Retail premises are eligible in 2014-15 and 2015-16. To qualify their premises must have a rateable value of less than £50,000.
