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Research park is off and running thanks to £4million Government money

Tuesday, 6th November 2012.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles braved cold, wet and windy conditions when he visited Haverhill today to launch the town's research park.

Mr Pickles said the scheme amounted to 'a bit of sunshine on a rainy day' during his brief visit to the site at Hanchet End.

Construction work is beginning on the flagship project to bring new homes, leisure and employment space to Haverhill in West Suffolk.

It follows the award of £4m by the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership and the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Local Enterprise Partnership.

The partnerships have each allocated £2m from the Government's Growing Places Fund for the provision of infrastructure and site-enabling works to open up this 29.5 acre site for residential dwellings, employment space, a hotel and family pub/restaurant.

The development is expected to create up to 2,000 new jobs and homes for around 350 people.

The funding bid was written jointly by the developers, Carisbrooke Investments, and St Edmundsbury Borough Council.

It is the first cross-border funding project by the two LEPs, and one of the first projects funded from Growing Places in this area to come out of the ground.

Mr Pickles said: "Everywhere I go I get leactured about shovel-ready sites, and here, at last, I've seen one."

He met representatives from the developer Carisbrooke Investments, the Suffolk-based construction company Breheny which is carrying out the works, as well as representatives from the LEPs and St Edmundsbury Borough Council.

He said: "The £770million Growing Places Fund is unlocking much-needed local growth and getting the infrastructure and homes we need built.

The New Anglia and Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Local Enterprise Partnerships, made up of civic leaders and local businesses, are using the money to help create jobs, homes and leisure facilities in Haverhill.

"I now want to see more of these partnerships coming together and finding innovative ways to unlock local sites to get Britain building again."

Cllr John Griffiths, leader of St Edmundsbury Council said: “St Edmundsbury and Carisbrooke put a lot of work into this bid and its success is very welcome news, putting the Haverhill Research Park project securely on track to securing 2,000 new jobs for the town.

"It is an excellent example of people and organisations working well together across boundaries for a common goal."

Nic Rumsey, director of Carisbrooke, said: “This, together with bank finance from BLME is the final piece in the jigsaw which allows the scheme to go ahead.

"We have appointed Breheny as the contractor and works on-site commence today, with completion programmed for April 2013.

"The high quality environment we are creating has already been recognised by Taylor Wimpey, who have recently submitted a reserved matters application for 150 residential units. We have also agreed the sale of land to Marston Inns, who have submitted an application for a 180-cover family pub/restaurant.”

Andy Wood, Chairman of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership said: “The Growing Places Fund has been set up to help kick-start projects which will create jobs across Suffolk and Norfolk.

"Haverhill Research Park is a fantastic project which will bring a significant number of jobs, new homes and businesses to the area. The application was very well put together and the board was unanimous in its support of the scheme.”

Mark Reeve, Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Local Enterprise Partnership vice-chairman said: “This is a great step forward for the creation of new jobs in our LEP area as a
direct result of Growing Places Funding.

"Working together on this project with New Anglia LEP and St Edmundsbury Borough Council has meant we can bring a significant amount of new jobs and much-needed new homes to Haverhill.”

The £4million is 'revolving money' which means that Carisbrooke will eventually pay it back so it can be used again on other projects.

Mr Pickles said the scheme was @really impressive'and would not only be a massive boost to the area, but also a catalyst for further improvement.

Mr Rumsey said he was optimistic about getting takers for the sites once the infrastructure was in,although he admitted it was a difficult market.

The connection with the LEPs would help, as they had a wider range of contacts than Carisbrooke alone.

Mr Reeve said the LEPs believed strongly in Haverhill Research Park, and were not just ploughing in the money and leaving it at that.

They would be doing their best to help Carisbrooke attract the businesses the park would need to deliver on the promise of the scheme.

Haverhill Online News

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