Around 200 businesspeople from across the North West gathered at a conference on Friday 6 November to hear about exciting new opportunities for investment in South Lakeland.
The event, South Lakeland: Perfectly Placed, was held by South Lakeland District Council (SLDC). It attracted developers, investors and businesses active in construction, housing and commercial development.
Held at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, the event was moderated by Andy Bounds, Enterprise Editor of Financial Times, with the audience hearing that land was available for 5,000 homes and that sixty acres of land have been allocated for a variety of employment uses.
The day generated much interesting discussion and demonstrated SLDC’s commitment to encouraging investment in South Lakeland. South Lakeland representatives were on hand to answer planning queries, and a number of successful local businesses were also present to talk about their experiences of doing business in the area.
Lawrence Conway, chief executive of SLDC, addressed the audience at the event and said:
“South Lakeland is a thriving area for business, with a highly skilled workforce, access to supply chain opportunities and excellent connectivity to the rest of the UK. It’s home to outstanding schools and colleges and offers a quality of life which is second to none.
“We now have a local plan agreed, we have sites allocated, and the council is prioritising job creation and the building of more homes, particularly affordable ones. We are striving to create the economic environment where everyone in the area can prosper.”
Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat Leader and local MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, also provided a welcome via video call, telling the audience:
“There will never be a better time to invest than now. There is huge potential to set up, grow and thrive. If you are expanding, relocating or investing, you should look no further than South Lakeland.“
The conference also highlighted some of the multimillion pound developments already underway in Cumbria, including GlaxoSmithKline’s new state-of-the-art biopharmaceutical factory in Ulverston and National Grid’s North West coast £4bn connections project.
Andrew Smith, Land Manager for McCarthy and Stone, attended the event because his firm is looking for more land to build homes in the Ulverston and Grange areas. Speaking after the event, he said: “It was extremely useful. It is refreshing to see the positive approach to property development by South Lakeland District Council.”
Andrew Dewhurst, director of Maple Grove Developments, part of the Eric Wright Group who are established leaders within the building industry, was one of the speakers at the event. He said:
“It is very competitive for local authorities trying to secure investment. Local authorities need to do something differently to distinguish their area and this event has helped highlight the strength of South Lakeland’s offer.
“SLDC has allocated land and realise they now have to concentrate on delivery, by meeting developers and telling them about the good things South Lakeland has and how vibrant it is.”
Alan Simpson, Studio Principal of IBI Group, also spoke at the event. IBI have worked on a number of projects in Kendal, including the award winning Kendal College building. He said: “The scale of opportunity in South Lakeland is fantastic and events like this do a lot to communicate that.”
