Commercial property specialists Bruton Knowles are backing the latest high-powered campaign aimed at opening up businesses opportunities in South Bristol.
Bristol agency head Paul Williams was invited to a conference on Friday hosted by city business organisations, council representatives, the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership and Bristol South MP Dame Dawn Primarolo, to look at ways of breaking through the barriers which have held the area back in comparison with the city’s prosperous northern districts.
The conference was held at Filwood Community Centre and kicked off with tours of the facilities at the new Filwood Green Business Park.
Key speakers included Dawn Primarolo MP and Alistair Reid (Bristol City Council), and the event was supported by Business West, the West of England LEP, the Federation of Small Businesses, and the Junior Chambers of Commerce.
Paul, who has bought, sold and let commercial sites across South Bristol during the last 25 years, says confidence in the area is finally increasing, as a new generation of business users move out from the city centre to revitalised locations such as the Paintworks, Bottle Yard Studios and the shortly to open Filwood Green.
He said: “The key issues seemed to revolve around skill shortages. Some of the construction sector representatives said they were struggling to get apprentices for building trades due to the perception that it’s better to go to university. As well as the need to create opportunities in South Bristol which, as we all know, has lagged behind other areas of the city in terms of investment and development.”
He went on: “The Filwood Green Business Park looks very impressive and will be great when it’s finished.
“It will have environmental features such as electric vehicle charging points, solar panels, rainwater harvesting as well as a cycle store and drying room and is targeting a BREEAM Outstanding assessment on completion.
“More importantly perhaps, it will offer ready to occupy office and business space targeted at small and growing businesses, many of whom will expect to recruit at least some of their workforce from the immediate area. This can only happen if local residents have the necessary skills to fill the various roles which are available.”
Key to the success of such projects is the ability to raise the aspirations of local young people; if there are no jobs available then where is the incentive for a young person to undertake training and obtain qualifications.
Outreach programmes and other initiatives in local schools and colleges can help to increase awareness and motivation amongst the next generation, and drive the change which this area needs if it is to thrive and compete on equal terms with other more favoured parts of the city.
“We applaud all the organisations involved, and the city council for attempting to get to grips with the city’s north-south divide and put in place policies enabling South Bristol to close the gap.”
While welcoming developments in and around the Temple Meads area which are transforming one of the main gateways into the city, Paul said infrastructure projects such as the South Bristol Link Road and the MetroBus project will greatly improve accessibility to and from the area.
The new Filwood Green Business Park, which provides a range of starter offices and workshop spaces is due to open next month and will transform the way the area is viewed.
