South Gloucestershire Wins Council of the Year Award
At the South West Property Awards 2015 ceremony hosted by Insider in Bristol, South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) won the Local Authority of the Year.
The award recognises South Gloucestershire’s crucial role in driving economic growth in the region, with entries described as ‘truly open for business’.
Speaking of the award Council Leader Matthew Riddle commented:
“It is a great honour to have received this award and I am very thankful to Insider. I see it as a vindication of our approach, which is to foster innovation and encourage enterprise, but also to reward public service-oriented business ventures. We are passionate about working with local businesses to ensure people enjoy high-quality, good value services and to grow the economy to provide good jobs. We are amongst the strongest economies in the entire country and one of a vanishingly small number that are net contributors to the national economy. I want to thank businesses for their ambition and drive and Council officers for their hard work and vision.”
South Gloucestershire Council has made great strides in encouraging and supporting local businesses. At the award ceremony, Insider particularly highlighted the work done in the 3 enterprise areas at Emersons Green, Filton and Avonmouth/Severnside.
The Bristol and Bath Science Park at Emersons Green is full, with still more demand for space for fledgling science enterprises, this demand is being met with approval in principal for an extension to the Science Park. In Filton, the Council has granted planning permission for 2,700 houses and 50 hectares of employment land for business, which will also house a new centre for Concorde. In Avonmouth/Severnside SGC was successful in a bid to the Coastal Communities Fund and this will pay for greater business engagement and new transport infrastructure including a cycle lane and an employee shuttlebus as well as securing funding for a new M49 junction and supporting Highways England in pushing for its prioritisation.