Invest Bristol & Bath has announced two events that will be held at international property conference, MIPIM, which will demonstrate the unique opportunity the Bristol and Bath region presents to investors.
The headline event, Developing the region – the £1bn opportunity for Bristol & Bath, will be held on Wednesday March 12 and will outline how the region intends to use £1bn in government funding.
Negotiations are now underway with Government to complete a package of funding from Government with a value to the region of at least £1bn. The region will be showcasing at MIPIM how it intends to use this and how the private sector can influence investment decisions and maximise leverage from this public sector investment.
The region has already secured an anticipated £500m through the Bristol & West of England City Deal, which allows the region to retain the uplift in business rates across the Enterprise Zone and its unique Enterprise Areas. Ambitions plans to secure funding with an indicative programme worth £540m are being put forward by the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, as part of its Strategic Economic Plan, and will compete for a share of the government’s £2 billion a year Local Growth Fund. £59m has also been secured from the EU Structural Investment Fund. MIPIM offers a unique opportunity to find out more about the proposed development projects on the table and how investors can get involved.
Colin Skellett, chair of the West of England LEP, which will manage the funds with its council partners, said: “Through our Strategic Economic Plan, we have identified a programme that addresses market failures and includes some significant investment opportunities, including projects to realise new technologies in quantum computing, robotics and renewable energy, and further development of our key assets, such as Engine Shed, Bristol & Bath Science Park, the National Composites Centre and our world-class Advance Engineering and Aerospace offer.
“We have the strongest performing region outside London with the strongest property market and we are one of Europe’s prime city regions. This event will be an opportunity for investors to find out more about the proposed projects and see how they can get involved.”
The event, facilitated by global built asset consultancy EC Harris, will also feature a panel debate with Colin Skellett, chair of the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership, Paul Marsh, head of projects at UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), Paul Crossley, leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, Steve Evans, director of environment and community services at South Gloucestershire Council and David Turner, strategic director of place-based services at North Somerset Council.
The panel will discuss what the region is doing to handle the increase in economic growth from an infrastructure perspective and what schemes the region can progress quickly to evidence new powers.
Richard Bonner, South West managing partner at EC Harris, said: “This is an excellent opportunity to show how the Bristol & Bath region is taking the smart approach to the Government’s regeneration policy. All the key ingredients for success can be found in the region, including effective leadership, targeted investment in infrastructure and innovative approaches to project funding. This event will showcase how to make private and public sector funding work together.”
The second event, European Green Capital Forum – The Property Market Perspective Roundtable, will be held on Thursday 13 March and will explore the opportunities presented by the European Green Capital Award. Bristol will be the sixth European Green Capital in 2015 in recognition of its high environmental standards and commitment to further improvements and sustainable development.
The European Green Capital Forum will bring together representatives from previous winners of the European Green Capital Award including Stockholm, Leicester – the UK’s original Sustainable City – and members of the property industry to explore how the status can be used to attract investment, unlock development and deliver growth.
Mayor of Bristol George Ferguson will speak at the event, offering Bristol’s perspective on the opportunity as forthcoming host of the award. Liz Dunn, partner at law firm Burges Salmon, will chair the event.
Liz Dunn, partner at Burges Salmon, said: “This event is an opportunity for Bristol to develop its European Green Capital programme building on what others have done before and, most importantly, explore what the private sector can bring to and gain from the huge potential that Green Capital offers for both Bristol and the region.”
Invest Bristol & Bath is representing the region at MIPIM and is responsible for attracting investment to Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset and Gloucestershire. The agency is part of the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership.
