Work underway on £4.5 million industrial park in Annan
South of Scotland set to benefit from investment
Scottish Enterprise, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and the European Regional Development Fund are working together to create a £4.5million industrial park in Annan.
Facilities on the park will provide serviced business land and modern, sustainable and energy-efficient business space that can be utilised by companies with growth potential.
Site development is now underway and initial development will include two office units and five industrial units, expected to be complete next Spring.
David Byers of Scottish Enterprise’s business infrastructure team said: “This marks an important milestone in the provision of new sustainable business accommodation for the South of Scotland.
“These units will offer much-needed office and industrial space in the region, and allow ambitious companies with growth potential the space they need to develop.
"It's vital that we and our partners help enhance the region's business infrastructure to provide further accommodation in which companies can expand and diversify.”
Jonathan Jenkin of the Nuclear Decommissioning authority said: “This development will provide much-needed business space in the Gretna-Lockerbie-Annan Corridor, leaving a positive legacy in the area once decommissioning at Chapelcross is completed.”
Councillor Ian Carruthers, Chair of Planning, Housing and Environment services at Dumfries and Galloway Council said: “The development of the Industry Park will contribute to the delivery of the Annan Regeneration Masterplan, which showed that a number of important businesses in the town were unable to grow because of their location.
"The development of the Industry Park now opens up opportunities for such businesses, which will helpcreate much-needed local employment.
"I hope any business thinking of expanding onto the Industry Park will contact the CX Project, which is supported by the NDA and the council, to find out what other help and assistance is available."
A portfolio of good quality business land premises is needed to promote economic development and competitiveness in appropriate locations with good transport connectivity, and the South of Scotland is particularly in need of such land.
The Annan facilities will be designed to help address this shortage, and will help retain existing businesses in rural areas, create new jobs and support diversification of the rural economy.
Ends
Scottish Enterprise is Scotland's main economic development agency and aims to deliver a significant, lasting effect on the Scottish economy. Our role is to help identify and exploit the best opportunities for economic growth. We support ambitious Scottish companies to compete within the global marketplace and help build Scotland’s globally competitive sectors. We also work with a range of partners in the public and private sectors to attract new investment to Scotland and to help create a world-class business environment.
Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/scotent
Follow us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/scottishenterprise
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is a non-departmental public body created through the Energy Act 2004. It is a strategic authority which owns 19 sites and the associated civil nuclear liabilities and assets of the public sector, previously under the control of UKAEA and BNFL.
The European Regional Development Fund aims to strengthen economic and social cohesion in the European Union by correcting imbalances between its regions. In short, the ERDF finances direct aid to investments in companies (in particular SMEs) to create sustainable jobs; infrastructures linked notably to research and innovation, telecommunications, environment, energy and transport; financial instruments (capital risk funds, local development funds, etc.) to support regional and local development and to foster cooperation between towns and regions; and technical assistance measures.