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HEREFORD ENTERPRISE

ZONE, ROTHERWAS NEWS In this Issue

Page 1

- Skylon Place: Open for business

- Contact the team

- Congratulations

Page 2

- Welcome to Skylon Court

- International Defence Landscape

Opportunities Event—24 February

- EZ progress

Page 3 - Rotherwas R.O.F. Front Line Duty

project

Page 4

- Development plots available

- Benefits

- Target sectors

- ...what’s happening on Skylon

Central?

- Holme lacy Road Traffic Calming

Measures

O ur second develop-ment of business units

is now available to let. Sky-lon Place is located on Hursey Road on the South Magazine. Block A has al-ready been let, and two fur-ther double height studio/workshop units of 1600 sq ft are still available.

The development has been built by local builders Collins Design and Build.

Key features of the units include low energy and running costs, flexible letting terms, high speed broadband, good car and van parking ratios and provision for cyclists.

We look forward to welcoming MedDX Solutions to Skylon Place. They will be moving their current operations from Whitestone, Hereford in order to expand. MedDX produce medical sample collection kits for health screening programmes and clinical trials.

To find out more about the remaining available units, contact the EZ office.

Contact the team at:

Enterprise Zone Office, Rural Enterprise Centre,

Vincent Carey Road, Rotherwas, Hereford HR2 6FE

T: 01432 383616 M: 07792 880054

E: info@skylonpark.co.uk W: www.skylonpark.co.uk

February 2016 edition Skylon Place: Open for business

C ongratulations to our

Chairman

Bill Jackson,

who will be

serving as the

High Sherriff of

Herefordshire

for one year

from April

2016.

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International Defence Landscape Opportunities

17:00 — 20.30 Wednesday 24 February

Business Solutions Centre, Skylon Court

T he third in a series of events organised by Hereford Enterprise Zone in partnership with QinetiQ, will take

place on Wednesday 24 February. This event aims to bring together complementary people and organisa-

tions in an environment that fosters communication, enables discussion and creates an environment where col-

laborations can form. Experts in the field of innovation, defence and security will be providing advice and guid-

ance to help you achieve your growth aspirations.

Agenda is as follows:

5.00 pm: Arrive and network (Refreshments)

5.30pm: Welcome by University of Wolverhampton

5.45pm: David Malleson, Canada & United States Desk Officer

6.00pm: Brian Hickey & Stephen Munford, Australian Defence Staff London

6.15pm: Tony White, Director, Ultra Electronics

6.30pm: Sally Stevenson, International Trade Advisor – Medium Sized Businesses, UKTI

6.45pm: Panel discussion

7.45pm: Networking

8.30pm: Close event

Book your free place by using the link below. For more information phone 01432 383616.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/international-defence-landscape-and-opportunities-tickets-20752802190

Welcome to Skylon Court

W e are very pleased to welcome several new tenants to our units in Skylon Court. We have already mentioned the Uni-versity of Wolverhampton’s new Business Solutions Centre which is offering a range of business support and training

activities to local businesses. Also accommodated in the Centre is the Marches Growth Hub Hereford which offers a central point of access for Hereford-shire businesses looking for support. Advice and support is available face to face, through the business-friendly website www.marchesgrowthhub.co.uk, or through the helpline 0345 6000 727. Businesses can access email, telephone and face to face advice and guidance sessions with business support officers. There is a wide range of help and assistance available, and the Marches Growth Hub can enable businesses to access it.

Also at Skylon Court are AKE International, a global security and risk mitigation company, and Jenks Associates , a consulting

engineering practice. Both companies will be expanding their operations from their new facilities.

Only 2 units remain at Skylon Court. Contact Tim Reed, Turner & Co on 01432 276202 timreed@turnerandco.co.uk to find

out more.

EZ progress:

•8 plots sold covering over 15.5 acres

•2 direct development projects completed creating space to rent, covering a further 2 acres

•7 new business premises built, fully occupied and operational

•Construction work underway on all 3 other sites

•Construction contracts for 7 of these developments awarded to local contractors

•Construction investment is estimated at £10m for those sites

•Some 330 people already employed in the enterprises moving onto the Zone. They are forecasting the generation of a further 250

jobs in the first 3 years of their operation on the Zone

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T he start of the two-year Rotherwas Royal Ordance Factory (R.O.F.) – Front Line Duty initiative was marked with

a celebration event at the Herefordshire Archive & Record Office on 16 January. Rotherwas R.O.F. Front Line

Duty is a joint project by Herefordshire Council, the Hereford Enterprise Zone at Skylon Park, that houses the for-

mer factory site, and the Hereford Archives and Records

Centre.

It will create a digital archive about the Rotherwas factory,

focusing on the impact the factory complex had on Here-

ford and the women who worked there as well.

The programme also involves working with local schools to

explore and preserve its history for future generations

Rotherwas R.O.F. Front Line Duty project

generations to come.”

The open day at the Herefordshire Archives and Records

Centre in Fir Tree Lane, Rotherwas, will run from 10am to

4pm on 13 February. The event will include a display by the

Rotherwas Munitions Group and a chance to find out more

about the project.

alongside community talks, films, exhibitions, walks

and events. Heritage Lottery Funding of more than

£77,000 was awarded towards the £101,000 cost.

The star guest at the launch was 97-year-old Nancy

Evans, who worked at the factory during World War

II. She entertained the audience with fascinating tales

of her time there and vividly described some of the

dangers of the work.

Local author and historian Bill Laws gave an illustrat-

ed talk about the site, which became one of the larg-

est explosive filling sites in the UK, and the conditions

that the workers faced.

Organisers are now appealing for people to come for-

ward and share their stories and family histories

linked to the munitions factory at an open day at Her-

efordshire Archives and Records Centre on Saturday

13 February.

Neil Kerr, vice chair of the Hereford Enterprise Zone,

said: “The launch event was a great start to the pro-

ject, attended by more than 50 people.

“We now want to hear from as many people as possi-

ble who either worked at the factory or who have

heard stories from their family members or friends

about working there during WWI or II.

“It is their stories that will bring this project to life and

allow us to preserve their memories and stories for

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Development plots available

T he map on the right

shows the land which

is currently available for

development. Approx.

45% is now sold or under

offer (coloured red). Our

land is being sold as

‘shovel ready’, so a lot of

investment has been go-

ing into bringing utilities

to the plots. That means

that as potential investors

have come forward, we

have been ready and able

to meet their require-

ments.

Businesses in the following sectors are eligible to take advantage

of the benefits of locating on Skylon Park:

• Defence & Security

• Advanced Manufacturing/ Engineering

• Food & Drink

• Sustainable Technologies

• Business Services

If your business falls outside of these sectors, more information about land availability elsewhere in the county can be accessed by calling 01432 261758.

Companies in the Enterprise Zone benefit from:

Business Rates relief, worth up to £275,000 per business

over a five year period

Simplified planning process, with planning already ap-

proved for the majority of investors

Superfast broadband

Local business sponsorship & increase in business profile

Help with skills and recruitment

Y ou will no doubt have seen a lot of activity happening on the land opposite Rotherwas Service Station, and

been wondering what’s going on. The Enterprise Zone sells land that is ‘shovel ready’ to enable investors to

commence work on site as soon as the legal work has been completed. We currently have investor interest in

around 6 acres of this 8 acre site. As part of the site preparation work, the existing access road is being extended

to the plots and a new waste drainage network is being installed. The work should be completed within the next

couple of months, and then you will see further activity as investors start work on their new facilities. In addition

to several local investors, we are also working with a developer partner who will be looking to build offices and

workshops to buy or let.

Holme Lacy Road Traffic Calming Measures

P lease note that traffic calming work will be commencing on the Holme Lacy Road on 22 February and will

take approximately 14 weeks. The work will be divided into four phases, the first starting at the western end

near the junction with the A49. Vehicles needing to access the Estate may find it easier to use the Rotherwas Ac-

cess road during this time.

...what’s happening on Skylon Central?