Latest news: Enterprise zones created

Businesses in North Staffordshire are celebrating after Prime Minister David Cameron confirmed that an enterprise zone will be created in the area later this year. 04/05/2011 

Mr Cameron made the announcement during a recent visit to pottery company Portmeirion in Stoke-on-Trent.

Areas given enterprise zone status benefit from concessions including tax breaks for businesses, simplified planning procedures and high-speed broadband. 

Businesses moving into an enterprise zone area can expect business discount rates worth up to £275,000 over five years.

‘Following Mr Cameron’s visit we are confident that we will have a zone that will bring in 3000 new jobs,’ said Bryan Carnes, chief executive of North Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce.

Rules can be set to ensure that the enterprise zone is used by manufacturing businesses and that jobs are not simply displaced from other parts of North Staffordshire.

It has not yet been confirmed where the enterprise zone will go, but the business-led Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) for Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire has identified Etruria Valley, along the A500, as its preferred area for the zone.

Other areas identified as enterprise zones include Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool, Greater Manchester, Tees Valley and Derbyshire.