Major step forward for Investment Zone in Wrexham and Flintshire
- Investment Zone reaches key milestone as industrial focus and key locations confirmed
- Plans will give huge boost to advanced manufacturing in Wales and help grow local economy
- Government has already committed £160m to help create 6000 new jobs and attract £1bn private sector investment
Plans for the Wrexham and Flintshire Investment Zone have taken a major step forward with the announcement of its industrial focus and main sites.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed the news in a major speech in Oxfordshire on Wednesday, in which she set out a comprehensive plan for growing the economy as part of the Plan for Change.
The Investment Zone is a partnership between the UK and Welsh governments, the North Wales Corporate Joint Committee, Wrexham and Flintshire Councils, and a wide range of local research institutes, businesses and stakeholders, alongside support from the Wales Office.
It will target advanced manufacturing, with a particular focus on innovation and skills, delivering fantastic new opportunities for communities in the region.
It will centre on four principal locations, building on the brilliant industries already established in the area:
- Sites in Deeside and Deeside industrial estate, which houses Tata Steel and Toyota
- Sites around Hawarden Airport, where Airbus is based
- Llay Industrial Estate, which houses several key aerospace businesses
- Wrexham Industrial Estate, which houses a wide range of advanced manufacturing businesses, including JCB
Backed by £160m of government funding, the Investment Zone is a collaborative project expected to attract £1bn of private sector investment, create 6000 new jobs and unlock 5.5 million square feet of new manufacturing capacity.
UK Minister for Local Growth and Building Safety Alex Norris said: “The Wrexham and Flintshire Investment Zone is an incredibly exciting collaboration between Westminster, Wales and the wider business community.
“Growing the economy is this government’s top priority, as set out in the Plan for Change. Helping communities achieve their potential lies at the heart of that mission, and projects like this one have a huge role to play.”
Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning in the Welsh Government Rebecca Evans said: “This is a significant funding commitment to support transformative additional private investment in key sites like Wrexham and Deeside Industrial Estates and across the wider region.
“In line with our Wales Innovates strategy, the Investment Zone will build on our well-established strengths in advanced manufacturing, such as aerospace and automotive, by reducing barriers and encouraging innovation for growth.
“It’s more good news for North Wales following last week’s confirmation that the Anglesey Free Port is open to business. There has never been a better time to invest in North Wales.”
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said: “I’m delighted that we are moving forward with the Investment Zone for Wrexham and Flintshire with £160 million from the UK Government to drive economic growth in advanced manufacturing.
“In December I met leaders from the advanced manufacturing sector at Toyota in Deeside and visited two hugely successful supply chain businesses. I saw the huge potential for growth and for building on the talent and expertise that already exists in this part of Wales.
“This Investment Zone will super-charge economic growth and have a transformational impact for people living and working in northeast Wales.”
As the plans progress, the full suite of interventions to support this joint programme will be designed by local partners and agreed by the UK and Welsh governments, and could include support on skills, transport and tax levers.
Unleashing the full potential of our cities and regions is a core objective of the government’s Industrial Strategy, which will be set out in detail later this year.
Stakeholder reaction
Mark Turner, JCB’s Chief Operating Officer, said: “JCB has been a prominent feature of the industrial and economic landscape in Wrexham and Flintshire for over 45 years.
“JCB Transmissions looks forward to other advanced manufacturing businesses coming to the area. This could go a long way towards building the supply chain resilience of existing manufacturing businesses in the area, such as JCB.
“We place a lot of value on skills in our business and we look forward to the Investment Zone positively supporting skills development.
“JCB continues to invest in our business in Wrexham and the Investment Zone announcement bodes well for the economic development of the area in the future.”
A spokesperson for Airbus said: “We welcome the Wrexham and Flintshire Investment Zone commitment, particularly its focus on innovation, skills development, and industrial growth which will ultimately deliver greater supply chain resilience, boost competitiveness and position North Wales as a leader in the national manufacturing landscape.”
Tim Knowles, Founder and Managing Director of FI Real Estate Management, said: “As an investor in Wrexham for almost 20 years, we’re delighted to see the announcement that Wrexham and Flintshire will receive Advanced Manufacturing Investment Zone status.
“We’ll be investing £115m to create new, high-quality industrial accommodation, supporting the creation of over 1,000 new jobs and delivering an estimated economic value of £1.2bn in Wrexham over the next 10 years.
“This is a significant milestone for North Wales, and we look forward to working in partnership with stakeholders to leverage this opportunity for strategic investment in the area, helping to supercharge the region’s advanced manufacturing sector.”
