Hereford success in Enterprise Zone bid

AN ENTERPRISE Zone in Hereford which it is claimed will create 6,500 jobs has been approved by the Government.

The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership submitted its bid earlier this summer for an EZ focused on Rotherwas Park, a 40-hectare site earmarked for the development of private-sector employment.

A report by a team of independent consultants concluded the Rotherwas site, with its focus on key business sectors including defence, held the best potential for the Marches to achieve EZ status.

Enterprise Zones are defined geographical areas in which businesses benefit from reduced taxes and less robust planning restrictions in a bid to boost private sector growth.

Chancellor George Osborne announced the location of the first 10 in his March Budget – including EZs in the Black Country and Birmingham/Solihull – with a further batch to be subject of bids from across England.

Also approved is the EZ in Hinckley, Leicestershire, which includes the MIRA Technology Park.

Coventry and Warwickshire LEP missed out on its bid to have an EZ based on land adjacent to Coventry Airport and the Tollbar A45/A46 junction.

Chairman Denys Shortt said: “Of course we are disappointed and the news comes as a setback.

“We believe our proposal – with the creation of 14,000 jobs – was very strong. We will continue to make it happen without the EZ.”

Other West Midlands bids to miss out were from Kidderminster and Stoke.

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