Date Posted: 17 August 2011
The Government have named Daresbury SIC as one of eleven new enterprise zones to be set up across the country. The development at the business park will allow companies to enjoy tax breaks, fast-track planning rules and ultra-fast broadband.
The key benefit for firms moving into an enterprise zone is that they pay no business rates for five years, up to a cap of £275,000. It is hoped the zone will attract around 30 businesses and create 1,000 high-value science and technology jobs.
The Daresbury Gold Partnership with Shipley IP is part of a programme to create stronger business support links on Campus and grow its unique offering to high-tech SMEs. Mark Shipley, MD of Shipley IP, says the zone will build on the solid potential already in place on Campus:
The quality and variety of businesses that we are working with at Daresbury exemplifies why it has been selected for further development. We have been able to help prove that there is long term commercial potential in the intellectual property being generated by businesses on site. It is great to see that being recognised on a national level.
The other successful bids came from the Humber Estuary Renewable Energy Super Cluster, Newquay AeroHub in Cornwall, MIRA Technology Park in Leicestershire, Discovery Park in Kent, Science Vale UK in Oxfordshire and Alconbury Airfield in Cambridgeshire.