Mark Garnier, Wyre Forest’s MP, today organised a meeting between board members of the Worcestershire LEP, officers of Wyre Forest district council, and Local Government Secretary of State the Rt Hon Eric Pickles MP. The meeting was initiated by Mark after the bid for the Kidderminster Business Park failed to achieve Business Enterprise Zone status.
Eric Pickles has promised to help WFDC with a number of issues that will give the South Kidderminster Business Park much of what a BEZ would provide. Importantly, he has agreed that he will help with the Local development Order, that will provide blanket planning permission for new business premises and extensions for existing ones; will provide help with local infrastructure bottlenecks; and will make his officials available to WFDC officers to help with any other issues that may arise.
Speaking after the meeting, Mark Garnier said: “I am incredibly grateful to Eric. It was a business like meeting and we came away with a great sense of optimism. We achieved everything we wanted from this and when taken into account with the fact that both BT and Virgin are providing superfast broadband for Kidderminster, we are getting very close indeed to having everything that a BEZ can provide, but without any of the restrictions. This is a good day for Kidderminster and the wider Wyre Forest and I am delighted that we are making progress. This provides more opportunity for existing businesses, and a viable and attractive venue for new businesses to relocate to.”
The South Kidderminster Business Park covers around 200 Ha of brownfield and industrial space along the Stourport Road corridor and the Worcester Road corridor.