Enterprise zone scheme set to help grow town’s economy

A NEW enterprise zone to attract businesses to the area around Robin Hood Airport is at the heart of a plan aimed at growing the Doncaster economy over the next five years.

Doncaster Council is to look 
at the case for creating an 
enterprise zone where companies receive incentives such 
as reduced business rates or quicker planning decisions in return for investing in new operations.

An enterprise zone covering a string of sites around the M1 through South Yorkshire which was set up last year has already attracted 15 new businesses and created 228 jobs.

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Increasing job opportunities for young people and attracting more businesses to Doncaster was one of the election priorities of Mayor Ros Jones who took office earlier this year.

The growth plan, to be discussed by senior councillors next week, stresses the need for the town to capitalise on its road, rail and air links.

It suggests an enterprise zone could be part of a wider ‘airport growth corridor’ to attract businesses to the area around Robin Hood Airport where construction is about to begin on a new link road to the M18 and where land is earmarked for a major new inland port development.

The plan identifies skill levels as a major challenge for the district if it is to attract more higher paid jobs.

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It calls for improved careers guidance, an increase in apprenticeships and the creation of ‘virtual academies’ that support key sectors such as logistics and rail engineering.

The council will look to improve the way it helps attract businesses to the town by promising major planning decisions within 13 weeks and growing the number of modern premises in the area.

Securing funding for future developments such as the proposed A1/A19 link road, an extension to the Finningley and Rossington Regeneration Route Scheme and a station at Robin Hood Airport will also be priorities in the next five years.

Doncaster currently has a £4bn economy but it needs to be £794m bigger to match the average for the region as a whole.

It currently has about 10,000 people claiming Jobseekers Allowance and a further 20,000 receiving some kind of state benefit.