Less than a year after it was created, a south Yorkshire enterprise zone has launched a campaign to make it one of Britain’s aerospace and engineering hotspots. It’s hoped as many as 2,500 high-skill jobs could be attracted to the Doncaster site.
Work to transform the vacant acreage next to Doncaster’s Robin Hood Airport began last year after the area was granted enterprise zone status, allowing incoming businesses and investors to access significant Government tax and funding incentives.
“We are now working closely with Doncaster Council’s inward investment team and the Sheffield City Region investment team to promote the town and the enterprise zone as a place to do business,” explained airport managing director, Steve Gill. “The teams have started working with engineering and aerospace companies to showcase the benefits of relocation to Doncaster.”
He said that alongside major infrastructure projects like the transformational Finningley and Rossington Regeneration Route Scheme (FARRRS) — which is connecting the airport to Junction 3 of the M18 motorway — the enterprise zone will help expand the airport and entice new industry and logistics jobs to south Yorkshire. Work on the £56m road upgrade started last month.
“Working closely with the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership we aim to exploit all opportunities to develop the enterprise zone to build a strong and diverse local and regional economy,” added Gill.
Chris Dungworth is investment manager for Business Doncaster, a partnership of Doncaster College, Doncaster Chamber of Commerce, JobCentrePlus and Finance for Enterprise. “Projects such as the CREATE HS2 rail college, which itself aims to generate 2,000 jobs in Washwood Heath, and Verdion’s £400m iPort at Rossington, have significantly raised our national profile,” he admitted. “We are currently seeing a lot of interest in Doncaster as an investment location.
“Having an enterprise zone at the airport really enhances our offer to investors looking for new sites and premises.
“It provides an incentive to businesses to locate on one of the city regions most prestigious business parks and helps up compete with larger cities for new investment and jobs,” said Dungworth.
According to Ellen Cutler, Sheffield City Region Inward Investment Director, The FARRRS scheme is vital to the success of both the enterprise zone and the airport, better known as Doncaster Sheffield Airport. “The link road of is one of a number exciting developments in Doncaster which are making Sheffield City Region a truly exceptional choice for investors,” she said.
“The new link road, alongside recent news about Doncaster’s selection as home of the National High Speed Rail College, the new enterprise zone site at the airport, and the decision by Next to invest in a 900,000 sq ft logistics centre, are all part of Doncaster’s unfolding success story.”
