Dignitaries cement flagship enterprise centre

To celebrate the completion of the steel frame of Enterprise Centre, East Northants, representatives from East Northamptonshire Council (ENC), South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) and ASHE construction signed the last steel on Friday (30 August) to commemorate the occasion.

Dignitaries, who have all played their part in the delivery of the venture, signed the last steel frame of the £8 million state-of-the-art facility officially marking the first key milestone in the project.

Leader of East Northamptonshire Council, Cllr Steven North, said:

“This project is one of the most ambitious developments we have delivered as a council and it is great to cement the hard work of all those involved by signing the last steel frame of the centre.

“We look forward to working with our partners towards opening the facility which will provide businesses with a first step on the ladder to their success.”

Chief Executive of SEMLEP, Hilary Chipping, added:

“SEMLEP is dedicated to creating attractive, well-designed places where people want to live and work today, that also meet the needs of generations to come.  This Enterprise Centre will provide a key location for East Northamptonshire businesses to thrive, interact, collaborate and succeed.”

Business Development Director at ASHE Construction, Andrew Morris, commented:

“We are delighted to be constructing these excellent new buildings that will assist in kick starting local businesses within the region. Having built similar facilities, in other parts of the country, we know how important these start-up units are in developing the local business infrastructure.

“Today marks another important step in achieving this goal as we celebrate the completion of the steel frame structures.”

ENC is working with Total Project Integration (TPI) and R H Partnership Architects to deliver the centre, which is anticipated to open in spring 2020. Once open it will offer start-up and growing businesses first-rate flexible workspace and business support.

ENC received £1.695 million funding from the SEMLEP’s Local Growth Fund in order to deliver the centre as part of Enterprising East Northants, the council’s economic plan for sustainable job creation and business growth.

The new purpose-built enterprise centre, which will be located at Warth Park in Raunds, will provide a range of flexible units, as well as virtual office support and access to on-site facilities including meeting space and shared office services. Construction has now started and it is anticipated that the centre will open in late spring 2020.

The Local Enterprise Partnership’s role is to enhance and promote the area’s sustainable growth and, through its Local Industrial Strategy help unlock the challenges and opportunities faced by businesses. Through its capital investment programme, the Local Growth Fund, SEMLEP invests in a range of projects that improve business productivity, develop local skills in line with employers’ needs and enhance the infrastructure– to create good quality places where people want to live, work and invest.

To register your interest or for more information please call: 0808 1787 060 or visit: www.east-northamptonshire.gov.uk/ecen