15th November 2004
£1.7 MILLION EUROPEAN INVESTMENT SIGNALS START OF WORK AT SHORTWOOD BUSINESS PARK IN BARNSLEY


Work has started on a new £5.4 million business park in Barnsley thanks to the European Union investing £1.7 million in the scheme.



Shortwood Business Park is being developed by Priority Sites Limited on one of three Sector 36 Business Parks that are amongst Barnsley’s best located sites, one mile from M1 Junction 36.

The park, which will provide high-quality, speculative business accommodation, is being supported through the European Regional Development Fund as part of the Objective 1 Programme in South Yorkshire which is investing over £700 million of European money to help transform the South Yorkshire economy and increase the opportunities for all its people. The project is being brought forward on behalf of Objective 1 by Barnsley Development Agency and Renaissance South Yorkshire, the regeneration body established by partners in South Yorkshire to help deliver the economic transformation of the region.

Work is due to commence shortly and will provide on-site infrastructure including roads and utility services and 60,000 sq ft of speculative industrial development with units ranging from 5,000 to 25,000 sq ft.

Sylvia Yates, Objective 1 Programme Director said: “Objective 1 investment is all about creating opportunities for the economy of South Yorkshire to grow. Our investment makes the difference between a development proceeding or not and we are pleased to support this scheme which offers opportunities for businesses looking to expand and grow and employment opportunities for local people.”

Paul Barber, Chief Executive of Priority Sites – the joint venture company owned by The Royal Bank of Scotland and national regeneration agency English Partnerships - said: “We are delighted to continue supporting the economic regeneration of Barnsley. This is a further demonstration of our commitment to the town following the recent start on site of our eleven unit development at nearby Wharncliffe Business Park – one of Priority Sites’ largest developments, in unit terms, in our seven year history.”

Phil Spurr, Area Regeneration Manager at Renaissance South Yorkshire commented, “This development provides South Yorkshire with an important boost to the amount of high quality, available business space in the area. The fact that such a development can be undertaken speculatively underlines the real capability in South Yorkshire to attract investors in the future. The success of Shortwood will help to underpin the proposed development of similar well located sites.”

David Kennedy, Executive Director of Development at Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council said, “These units form an important part of the overall regeneration strategy for the area which will bring new jobs and stimulate inward investment at a local level.”
END

www.barnsleydevelopmentagency.co.uk

Press Contact: Sarah Hopwood
Marketing & Communications Assistant
Barnsley Development Agency
Telephone: 01226 640 086
Facsimile: 01226 286 606
Email: shopwood@barnsleydevelopmentagency.co.uk


Editors Notes:

Objective 1
The Objective 1 Programme in South Yorkshire is a £1.8 billion investment programme that draws on over £700 million from the European Union’s Structural Funds that are provided to help Europe’s poorest areas regenerate their economies and create jobs. South Yorkshire is one of those poorest areas with fewer businesses and fewer and less well-paid jobs than other European regions.

South Yorkshire was designated as an Objective 1 area, which is the highest category of European support, at the Berlin Summit in 1999 along with Merseyside, Cornwall and the Scillies and West Wales and the Valleys. The Objective 1 Programme in South Yorkshire was launched in July 2000 and runs until the end of 2006.

To date the Programme has committed over £500 million of European money to over 450 projects in South Yorkshire. Objective 1 funds are supporting the development of new businesses; helping businesses to innovate and grow; supporting the development of skills and training; supporting social enterprises; supporting the economic development of deprived communities in South Yorkshire; helping to bring forward the development of sites and premises for increased economic activity; and, helping to tackle both financial and transport bottlenecks that inhibit economic growth.

Priority Sites
Established in 1997, Priority Sites is one of England’s most active developers with a new building contact starting on average every four weeks. Its success is due to the fact that is provides quality business premises - often on a speculative basis and outside high-profile industrial areas - that fit the needs of the companies that regional and local enterprise agencies want to attract, bringing with the, new, long-term jobs to parts of England that need them the most. For further information visit the website www.prioritysites.co.uk

Renaissance South Yorkshire
Part financed by the EU European Regional Development Fund, Renaissance South Yorkshire is a purpose-built delivery vehicle created to transform the economic prospects of South Yorkshire by delivering strategic development projects and investment. It holds specific responsibility for:

• Attracting and managing inward investment for South Yorkshire;
• Developing the urban centres of South Yorkshire;
• Regenerating former coalfield sites;
• Developing key property sites within the Strategic Economic Zones of the M1, M18 and the Dearne Valley including the Advanced Manufacturing Park near Rotherham, the Barnsley Digital Media Centre, and the business park at the new Robin Hood Airport.
• Stimulating the growth of priority business clusters including advanced manufacturing and metals, bioscience, creative and digital industries, business, professional and financial services; environmental and energy technologies; and food;
• Delivering Objective 1-funded business development and infrastructure projects

Contact Diane Jarvis, Marketing Manager, Renaissance South Yorkshire, 01709 766462

Barnsley Development Agency (BDA) is home to Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council’s Inward Investment and Development Team, which offers potential inward investors a friendly and professional service, free of charge. Services provided include: land and property information and advice; planning information and advice; financial assistance and grant availability; recruitment and training support; business advice; on-going project support and an aftercare programme.

Contact Sarah Hopwood, Marketing & Communications Assistant, Barnsley Development Agency 01226 640 086


Issued by

Richard Holmes
Communications Manager
Objective 1 Programme Directorate
Silkstone House
Pioneer Close
Wath Upon Dearne
ROTHERHAM S63 7JZ

Telephone: 01709 763618
Fax: 01709 763679
Email: richardholmes.goyh@go-regions.gov.uk



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