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WHERE WILL THE WEST’S NEW HOMES AND JOBS GO?

Space is needed for 250,000 more residents and 110,000 new jobs

Over the next few years, space must be found to house 250,000 extra residents and 110,000 new jobs in the former county of Avon – Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, and Bath & North East Somerset.

Right now, the area‘s councils have not allocated sufficient land to accommodate all the new homes and workspace that national and regional plans have identified for the area, according to the South West‘s largest firm of international property consultants.

Ned Cussen, Development Partner at King Sturge in Bristol told the firm‘s annual media briefing:  “Greater Bristol is the engine room for the entire South West Region. Government and regional statistics have identified how many homes and new jobs the Greater Bristol area must be accommodated over the next two decades.

“But local councils have a real dilemma in finding space for those new homes and jobs, in an area which has very little under-developed or brown-field space”, said Mr Cussen.

The regional plan for 110,000 new jobs in ‘Greater Bristol‘ demands the equivalent of 14 sites as big as the massive Ministry of Defence site at Abbey Wood in north Bristol.

“Where will those new jobs go?” Mr Cussen asks.

“The strongest possibilities are Avonmouth and Weston-super-Mare at the moment, but is this enough – I doubt it. South Gloucestershire has severely cut back on further workspace growth on the North Bristol fringe.

“The uncomfortable fact is that we need more land allocated. One answer is to open up South Bristol, which so badly needs these new jobs. But that also requires local politicians to grasp the difficult nettle of delivering completion of the Avon Ring Road to provide easy access to South Bristol and to Bristol International Airport”, said Mr Cussen.

“Local politicians‘ hesitation in grappling with this vote-affecting issue might be helped by the Government‘s move to shift region-wide planning responsibility to the Regional Development Agency, which has no exposure to voter-issues. 

“But that would not be a good move for regional democracy. It would be far better if the area‘s four elected councils could drive forward an agreed  solution, without having a solution imposed by a non-elected agency”, he added.

 ENDS             10th April 2008

For further information please contact Neil Fraser, Sturgess Van Damme, on 01275 349011 or email neil@sturgessvandamme.co.uk

 Notes to editors

King Sturge is one of the largest international property consultancies in Europe (52 offices in 17 countries), with a comprehensive network of over 165 wholly owned and associated offices throughout the world.  Over 3,800 staff throughout these offices cover all property sectors and specialisms, including plant and machinery.  In Europe, King Sturge operates in principal mainland European cities.

In Asia Pacific, King Sturge has associations in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore.

In North America, King Sturge has business partners in the Americas and Canada through King Sturge CORFAC International.