More enterprise zones to kickstart recovery
By politics.co.uk staff
The second wave of enterprise zones has been announced by ministers, as part of a bid to create 30,000 new jobs by 2015.
Eleven new locations were unveiled today, doubling the total after March's Budget announced the creation of 21 zones.
Science Vale UK in Oxfordshire, Newquay AeroHub in Cornwall and the Humber Estuary Renewable Energy Super Cluster were among the bids, made by local council and business leaders.
They will benefit from lower tax rates and eased planning restrictions, as well as from extra government support in investment.
"These new enterprise zones will be trailblazers for growth, jobs and prosperity throughout the country," prime minister David Cameron said.
"I am determined that we should drive growth in every town, city and community in the country.
"For too long our economy has been dependent on just one corner of the country and too few industries.
"But it won't be ministers in Whitehall who can drive this growth; it will be those with the great business idea who are ready to start up, the entrepreneurs who want to grow their company, the businesses looking to expand into new markets."
At the end of last month the Treasury announced the government had achieved over 100 of the 137 reforms unveiled in the March Budget's Plan for Growth document.
Other enterprise zones announced today included Northampton Waterside, Daresbury Science Campus in Warrington, MIRA Technology Park in Hinckley Leicestershire and the Solent Enterprise Zone at Daedalus Airfield in Gosport.
