A new Enterprise Centre for Shirebrook

The ink has dried on the contract for a new £4.7million Enterprise Centre in Shirebrook to help attract new businesses and encourage local enterprise.

The Bolsover District Council project is being managed by Turner & Townsend and will be located at the heart of a growing business community on Brook Park.  The Centre will also become the first environmentally friendly building for the council achieving BREEAM ‘Excellent’ accreditation, and offering modern renewable technologies to offer efficiency savings for its clients.

The Centre will provide a total of 35 units, with three meeting rooms, offering growing businesses a mix of flexible workspaces between 200sqft and 750sqft.   The Centre will include conference facilities offering the latest in modern technology and communications.

Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Councillor Alan Tomlinson said, “The project has faced a number of challenges in the tough economic climate, but those behind the project fought to bring it to fruition, and in January, it was confirmed that full funding had been secured. We can’t wait for the actual construction work to start. This is a massive investment in Shirebrook, an investment that will breathe new life into the area and hopefully kick start the local economy and growth in the town.”

Construction on the project is funded from the European Regional Development Fund (£3.8 million) and the Councils own Working Neighbourhoods Funding (WNF) (£900k), and is anticipated to start in spring 2011, with a completion date of autumn 2012.

Councillor Tomlinson added, “One of the stipulations we have put in the contract is that local suppliers must be used wherever possible. So with all the doom and gloom about spending at present, we can hopefully provide business opportunities for local suppliers.”

Andrew Morgan, Skills and Communities Director at East Midlands Development Agency, said: “The commitment, perseverance and dedication of all partners has played an important part in bringing this development to fruition. This modern, new facility will enable Shirebrook to build on its manufacturing, distribution and service sector strengths, enabling local businesses to grow, creating jobs and bringing widespread prosperity to the area.”

The Centre will also provide much-needed employment opportunities in the district, both during the construction phase, and also longer term as businesses move in and take on staff.

Mark Deakin, Director at Turner & Townsend added “This is a significant day for Shirebrook and for the wider district. Turner & Townsend are very pleased to be acting as Turnkey Project Management Services in delivering this important facility that will help support businesses to ensure they survive and prosper and bring more jobs to the area.”

For further information about the project, please telephone 01246 242389 or email to info@businessbolsover.com

Date issued: 16th February 2011

Notes to Editors:

About ERDF nationally
The ERDF Programme aims to strengthen economic and social cohesion in the European Union by supporting regional economic development.

The ERDF objectives for England are:

• Promoting innovation and knowledge transfer
• Stimulating  enterprise and supporting successful business
• Ensuring sustainable development, production and consumption
• Building sustainable communities
• Improving accessibility and connectivity (for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly only – as part of their Convergence Programme).

A Programme Monitoring Committee consisting of regional stakeholders such as Government Offices, RDAs, Regional Assemblies, Local Authorities, Sub-regional Partnerships, Higher Education Institutions, Trade Unions, and the private and voluntary sectors will monitor and oversee programme implementation in each region.

For more information on ERDF funding generally, please visit www.communities.gov.uk/citiesandregions/european or http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/funds/feder/index_en.htm

About ERDF in the East Midlands
The East Midlands is eligible for €268.5m between 2007 and 2013, which when combined with match funding, provides a programme value of approximately €537m – a significant investment in the economic development of the region.

The East Midlands qualifies as a competitiveness and employment region under the EU’s Cohesion Policy, which aims to meet the EU Lisbon objective to become ‘the most competitive and dynamic knowledge based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social inclusion.’

East Midlands Development Agency (emda) is responsible for the programme management and delivery of the region’s 2007-13 ERDF Competitiveness Programme.  The responsibility for ERDF programme management was transferred from the Government Office for the East Midlands (GOEM) to emda following a decision by the UK Government to seek greater alignment between ERDF and regional strategies and funding streams.  The 2007-13 ERDF Programme is therefore set firmly within the framework of the Regional Economic Strategy.

A Programme Monitoring Committee, chaired by the Regional Director of Government Office for the East Midlands (GOEM), guides the strategic direction of the programme and works closely with emda.

To find out more about ERDF, the region’s strategy for delivering the funds, how to apply for funding and how the programme is managed, please visit www.eastmidlandserdf.org.uk

About emda
East Midlands Development Agency (emda) is one of nine Regional Development Agencies in England, set up in 1999 to bring a regional focus to economic development.

Ten years on, independent evaluation shows emda has:
• Had a significant impact on the region’s economy
• Generated economic benefits that substantially outweigh its overall costs
• Put back over £9 of economic output (or GVA) into the regional economy for every £1 it spends
• Produced more than £1 billion in economic benefits per year
• A wider impact on people, places and businesses in the East Midlands that cannot be captured by figures alone.

emda is committed to supporting the region through the current downturn and has put in place a range of measures to provide real help during these challenging times. 

Over the long term, emda’s aim is to deliver the 2006 Regional Economic Strategy (RES) by working in partnership with public, private and voluntary organisations.  The RES highlights the themes of productivity, sustainability and equality and sets out key priorities until 2020 to ensure the vision for ‘a flourishing region’ can be achieved. 

For more details visit www.emda.org.uk