Innovative science park for Wiltshire

Thousands of jobs will be created and Wiltshire will be firmly at the forefront of the science and technology industries when a new state-of-the-art science park is built thanks to £10m of Government funding.

Wiltshire Council and a joint development company comprising Trebor Developments LLP and Wrenbridge Land Limited were successful in a joint bid to develop a science park at Porton, which will create more than 2,000 jobs over a 10-year-period and bring national and international investment into the area.

The Porton Science Park will be based near leading scientific institutions, the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and the Health Protection Agency (HPA) at the Porton Down site near Salisbury.

It will provide facilities for science and research based industries and could attract £70m of private sector investment in the next 10 years. The development is expected to attract high levels of investment from both the UK and foreign bioscience and healthcare.

The successful bid for £10m funding from the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) will help start the first phase of the science park project creating the infrastructure for the planned 355,000 sq ft science park and a new 23,000 sq ft innovation centre.

Bob Tattrie, managing partner for Trebor Developments LLP, commented on behalf of the JV: "We are delighted to be working in partnership with Wiltshire Council and other partners to bring forward this substantial public/private sector scheme, which will see buildings delivered and occupied over the next 18 months. Porton Science Park will become the most important development for employment within this area of the UK. The Trebor/Wrenbridge joint venture have built up an excellent reputation for working in partnership with public sector bodies, which is further reinforced by this agreement with Wiltshire Council for this prestigious scheme."

BIS will invest £10m into the development from its £1.3 billion Regional Growth Fund. The innovation centre will attract new specialised science and technology research companies and secure the future of the companies already resident within the Tetricus Innovation Centre, which otherwise would have closed in the winter of 2013 - protecting in excess of 100 private sector jobs.

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Liberal Democrats in Government have annouced massive investments in Wiltshire this week, with investments in Porton Down and Dyson in Malmsbury.

This is part of the third round of investment of £1.05bn by the Regional Growth Fund. The Regional Growth Fund is overseen by Nick Clegg and has already announced £2.4bn of investment in the first two rounds.

Commenting, Wiltshire Lib Dem Group Leader Jon Hubbard said: "Instead of concentrating on the City of London like the previous government did, Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government are doing everything possible to make places like Wiltshire the economic powerhouses they deserve to be.

"For too long, our economy has been lopsided and over-reliant on financial speculators in only one Square Mile. Liberal Democrats are doing the right thing to rebalance the economy: by investing in areas like ours through the Regional Growth Fund.

"This is only one part of what the Coalition Government is doing: it has also set up a Green Investment Bank that will help create sustainable jobs, overseen an 80% increase in apprentices and given young people the chance to earn or learn through the £1bn Youth Contract."

Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg said: "This £1bn boost for growth in towns and cities across England is creating jobs that will last in the parts of the country that need it most. In tough economic times the Regional Growth Fund is good value for taxpayers' money - this £1bn round of the fund is pulling in £6bn of private sector investment. I have seen for myself the real difference this makes on the ground - from iconic (sic) businesses like Eddie Stobart expanding in Widnes and creating 3,450 jobs in the local area, to the Sunderland car parts factory, Unipres who have used their funding to buy a new 3,000 tonne press, letting them accelerate production and take on an extra 316 people.

"The Regional Growth Fund is working, on track and supporting businesses to create jobs and grow the economy."

Notes:

Dyson Ltd.

Direct Jobs: 68
Indirect Jobs: 82
Dyson continues to invest in a growing team of engineers and scientists in Malmesbury. This funding will boost the development of brand new Dyson technologies for export. Universities, technology and engineering companies all stand to gain from this investment too. It is good news for the South West but it also reaffirms Britain's place at the forefront of advanced engineering research.

Wiltshire Council and Wrenbridge Land Ltd / Trebor Developments LLP Joint Venture

Direct Jobs: 940
Indirect Jobs: 165
Porton Down Science Park will comprise a 7.96 Hectare site adjacent to the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) facility and the Health Protection Agency (HPA) Porton site. The Science Park will provide 355,502 sq ft of research and development accommodation and facilities for science and research based industries who wish to work alongside Dstl and HPA. The jobs created within the Science Park will be high value jobs and primarily consist of specialised technical and research skill sets. The science park will be an opportunity for advanced skills training in the bioscience sector. Located outside the secure areas, it will attract a high level of inward investment of both UK and foreign bioscience and health care.