"The West Midlands is most definitely open for business" - that's the message regional development agency chief executive Mick Laverty will be taking to influential property investment figures at the world’s biggest land and property exhibition.
Mick and director of development Stuart Kirkwood from Advantage West Midlands (AWM) want them to know that, despite the global recession, the region has prime land waiting for major, innovative developments that will bring prosperity to developers and, most importantly, jobs for local residents.
A regional delegation made up of the public and private sector - under the banner of Team West Midlands – is attending the event this year, including delegates from both Birmingham and Coventry City Councils. Their aim will be to attract investment into the region by meeting key people and convincing them to make the West Midlands their first choice.
AWM will again be providing a marketing suite near the exhibition centre which can be used by Team West Midlands to host business meetings and networking events.
Mick Laverty said: "The land, property and construction sectors were the first to be affected by the dip in economic fortunes. Our role as regional leader is to do whatever we can to keep major physical developments going and continue involving developers in planning for the future.
"We will prove this week that we are ready for the long haul as a strong and reliable partner by continuing to invest in new infrastructure and decontaminating land. Would-be investors will see that we provide them with a quicker route to success because obstacles which can delay projects have already been removed."
Stuart Kirkwood said: "We intend to make the most of this invaluable, once-a-year opportunity to meet with key global players and 'sell' the West Midlands as a great location for investment.
"Anyone who thought the recession meant the region had simply rolled over should think again. It just means we are working even harder to ensure projects get off the ground."
Some of those projects are:
- Work has started on the £600 million Birmingham Gateway project to redevelop New Street Station, working in partnership with Network Rail, Birmingham City Council and transport authority Centro. AWM is contributing £100 million to the project which will transform the station, the shopping centre above it, and the surrounding area to create a world-class transport hub and civic amenity for the city and region. This is the largest investment in a single project by any regional development agency in the country.
- A contractor has been selected for the £300 million research and development site at Ansty Park near Coventry and work is expected to start this month. This project is expected to generate 5,000 jobs and will include a £130 million world class Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC). AWM and the East Midlands Development Agency are investing £40 million in the project. An independent economic assessment predicts a £25 return on investment for the region for every pound invested in the MTC alone.
- The former Jaguar site at Browns Lane in Coventry is to get a £9.8million investment from AWM to focus on more manufacturing and office use. This will help attract the right businesses and employers, ensuring the site realises its potential to create more than 2,500 high value jobs.