Marches investment sites in spotlight at global expo

Key investment sites planned for development to create homes and jobs across the Marches are to be showcased next month at the biggest global property and real estate show in Europe.
The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is part of the Midlands UK delegation at MIPIM in Cannes, where opportunities for investors in Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin will be highlighted.
Selling the region as “one of the best places in the UK to invest, live work and play’, the Marches LEP has worked with partners at the three local

authorities to develop an exciting proposition for investors.
Development opportunities in the spotlight include the defence and security-focused Enterprize Zone at Skylon Park in Herefordshire, the Flaxmill Maltings in Shrewsbury and an area of 200-acres of development ready land in Telford.
LEP Chairman Graham Wynn OBE will join Midlands Engine Chairman Sir John Peace, other LEP and local authority leaders in Cannes during MIPIM which is held from March 13-16.
Mr Wynn said: “The Marches is one of the best places in the UK to invest, live, work and play. Our region is home to global players and established supply chains, demonstrated by the biggest single foreign investment in the UK in a decade in Magna Cosma in Telford.
“We have fantastic investment opportunities in our region, one of the most attractive locations in the UK to live and work. Global players including BAE Systems, Caterpillar, and Heineken have already chosen to base their operations here, where we offer a first-class business landscape and an outstanding quality of life.
“MIPIM gives us the chance to showcase what Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford has to offer investors looking to locate in one of the fastest growing areas of the Midlands.”
Councillor Nic Laurens, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for economy and growth, said: “Shropshire has many fantastic historic buildings and estates, creating an offer which is truly unique. We are excited to have the opportunity to showcase this on a global stage.”
A promotional film showcasing the development opportunities and the outstanding natural environment has been developed for MIPIM as well as promotional brochures detailing investment sites.
Councillor Lee Carter, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development said: “We’re delighted that Telford is officially one of the fastest growing towns in the Midlands, where we have seen £1 billion of investment in the last decade. That’s why we’re pleased to be at MIPIM highlighting ready to go development sites across 200 acres, the size of 166 football pitches, which form the Telford Investment Cluster.”
Shropshire is promoting its vision to creatively reuse its heritage buildings and estates for modern uses, making the county a unique and inspiring place in which to invest. As part of this, it has chosen to highlight the Flaxmill Maltings – the world first iron-framed building – which will be available to the market by 2021, providing four floors and 25,000 sq ft of luxury office space. It is also showcasing development opportunities in Oswestry, Whitchurch and the former Ironbridge Power Station and Clive Barracks at Tern Hill.
In the south Marches region, investor interest in development ready plots is already high at Skylon Park. Skylon is the only UK Enterprise Zone with a dedicated defence and security focus thanks to its proximity to the SAS base in Hereford and a cluster of nearly 100 businesses operating in the sector including nearby QinetiQ in Malvern and GCHQ in Cheltenham.
The prime development site within Skylon Park is the North Magazine, a 10 hectare plot benefiting from dedicated access and full land remediation.
The Marches LEP is joining other private and public sector partners including Greater Birmingham (Birmingham, Solihull and the Black Country); Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County Council and Coventry & Warwickshire LEP; D2N2 (Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire); Lincoln & Lincolnshire; Leicester City Council and Leicester & Leicestershire LEP and Stoke-on-Trent at the dedicated Midlands Pavilion.
The region’s presence is being coordinated by the West Midlands Growth Company, together with the Department for International Trade (DIT) and partners including transport hubs Birmingham Airport and East Midlands Airport, automotive giant Jaguar Land Rover and the Midlands Enterprise Universities group.