new econ innovation centre in pipeline

NEW COUNCIL ECO-INNOVATION CENTRE STUDY

SET TO HELP DIVERSIFY LOCAL ECONOMY

Scarborough Borough Council has announced plans to develop a purpose build Eco-Innovation Centre in Scarborough as a means of stimulating the growth of environmental businesses in the borough.

Nationally, the emerging Low Carbon and Environmental Goods and Services [LCEGS] sector is set for massive growth over the next ten years. Council officers have identified an opportunity to diversify the local economy and encourage the local growth of this sector through the creation of a new purpose built Eco-Innovation Centre in Scarborough.

Council members have approved the first stage in this process, with approval given for officers to seek funding from Yorkshire Forward for the development of a feasiilty study.

The study will test the local growth potential of the LCEGS sector, and scope the opportunities for developing an Eco-Innovation Centre in Scarborough. Work will start this summer, with completion of the study expected in the autumn.

The feasibility study will seek to identify the local growth potential of the LCEGS sector and explore the potential of attracting LCEGS sector businesses from outside the area.

It is also expected that the study will help identify ‘anchor tenants’ and private sector interest, provide a recommendation on whether to proceed and give a size and site options appraisal. The study will also identify development partners with whom the project can be developed.

Matt Parsons, regeneration officer at the council says “Nationally, the need to develop a sustainable low-carbon global economy in order to address the threat of climate change and the over-exploitation of natural resources is well documented. In addition, the LCEGS sector is being increasingly viewed as a key driver of future economic growth. We want Scarborough to be at the forefront of this growth.”

Although there is no exact boundary, the LCEGS sector covers; air pollution control, cleaner technologies and processes, environmental consultancy, energy management and efficiency, marine pollution control, noise and vibration control, remediation and reclamation of land, renewable energy, water supply and wastewater treatment, waste management, recovery and recycling together with environmental monitoring, instrumentation and analysis.

The proposed new centre will be a carbon neutral building containing a cluster of businesses from the LCEGS sector. It will provide flexible workspace and office services, including meeting, conference, demonstration and training space. Also likely to be included is ‘grow on space’ linked to Woodend, for the digital and creative sector.

David Kelly, the council’s economic development manager adds, “The borough needs to ensure that new sectors are introduced into the economy and focused increasingly on the high growth/knowledge based industries. This requires support to both indigenous businesses and the attraction of inward investment, and crucially the development of appropriate purpose-built sites and premises.

“This approach has worked successfully with the creative and digital sector through the establishment of next generation broadband, and the development of Woodend Creative Workspace. Indeed, there is now demand for additional ‘grow-on space’ from Woodend.

“As Woodend supported the growth of the creative and digital sector, the proposed Eco-Innovation Centre aims to be the catalyst for the local growth of the emerging Low Carbon Environmental Goods and Services sector.

“Ultimately the aim of the project is to support of the expansion of existing local businesses in the sector, attract businesses from outside the area to Scarborough, support existing businesses and organisations across all sectors to be more environmentally sustainable in their practices and processes and create a range of semi-skilled and higher-level skilled jobs.”

Following the study it is hoped that a business plan can be prepared and submitted to Yorkshire Forward to attract development funding by early in 2010.