Invest in Bristol Public Sector Relocation Brochure www.investinbristol.com Contents Foreword by Leader of Council 1 UK Map of Bristol 2 Why Invest in Bristol? 3 Public Sector Relocation 4 Defence Equipment & Support (MoD) Case Study 6 HEFCE Case Study 8 OFSTED Case Study 10 UK Transplant Case Study 12 Reception Service for Major Investors 14 Commercial Property 16 Bristol Economy 18 People & Skills 20 Education and Healthcare 22 Housing 24 Science & Innovation 26 Infrastructure & Connectivity 28 Quality of Life 30 Team Bristol 32 Links 34 Acknowledgements 36 Foreword Welcome to Bristol I have great pleasure in providing the foreword to this Agency. The Environment Agency has chosen to Invest in Bristol: Public Sector Relocation Brochure. locate its new national headquarters in Bristol city centre. The Environment Agency HQ will be one of the Bristol’s public sector relocation offer comprises a greenest buildings in the UK and there’s plenty more strong city-region economy built upon a highly skilled in the pipeline. In addition, more than 160 companies workforce, a range of workspace solutions, a dynamic have their national headquarters in the city. business sector, world-class R&D and excellent universities. This is boosted by its Green Capital Bristol’s success has also been nationally recognised. credentials, vibrant culture, superb quality of life and The city was crowned European City of the Year in excellent links to London, Europe and USA. 2008 after scooping a prestigious award from the Academy of Urbanism, a think tank that champions The public sector has a strong presence in the Bristol great place-making. The UK Competitiveness Index city-region with a variety of local, regional and national 2008 has ranked Bristol as the most competitive organisations. We were very pleased to see Bristol English core city, outstripping rival cities. Bristol was rated so highly as a ‘top location’ for higher value, also the only UK city to be short-listed for the policy and scientific services by the Lyons Review of European Green Capital Award. public sector relocation. Bristol City Council and its partners are committed to Of course, none of this is news to the national matching your ambition and to making a difference by agencies that Bristol already hosts. Bristol has now providing public sector organisations with all the received over 1,000 relocated posts since 2004 and a support you need to make your move to Bristol a rich further 2,000 posts are due to move to Bristol over the and rewarding experience. next few years. Public sector organisations currently located here include the Audit Commission, Defence I hope to see you in Bristol in the near future! Equipment and Support (MoD), Ofsted, HEFCE, the Councillor Barbara Janke Planning Inspectorate, VOSA and the Environment Leader, Bristol City Council 1 www.investinbristol.com Key UK Flight and Rail Connections from Bristol LONDON Rail connections 1:45 hours:minutes Le eds Air destinations in the UK 1:05 hours:minutes ABERDEEN 1:45 PERTH EDINBURGH GLASGOW 1:20 6:26 1:1 5 6:25 NEWCASTLE 1:05 CARLISLE Isle of Man 1:0 5 LEEDS/ BRADFORD 1:05 MANCHESTER 1:00 LIVERPOOL NOTTINGHAM BIRMINGHAM COVENTRY CAMBRIDGE OXFORD GLOUCESTER SWANSEA SWINDON LONDON 1:45 CARDIFF BRISTOL 0:56 DOVER BATH EXETER SOUTHAMPTON NEWQUAY PLYMOUTH 0:4 5 0:3 5 Chan nel 2 Bristol International Airport now o!ers "ights to 122 destinations across 29 countries with Continental Airlines, Air France - KLM and Lufthansa. Why Invest in Bristol? 1. Availability of high quality premises: In addition 6. Science and innovation: Bristol is an officially to more than 3 million sq metres of existing floor designated Science City and hosts world class space, the Bristol city-region is host to £3bn of scientific research and development in its development and infrastructure projects. universities and business sectors. 2. Corporate relocation assistance: Our Reception 7. Infrastructure and connectivity: The Bristol city- Service, Planning Protocol and Investor region offers excellent access to other UK and Development Service provide companies with major European cities via its road & rail network, support tailored to their needs. Bristol International Airport and Port of Bristol. 3. Business success: The Bristol economy has 8. Green capital status: Bristol is now rated as the experienced the highest growth of any most sustainable city in the UK according to the comparable English city outside of London as charity Forum for the Future and is the only UK city to measured by Gross Value Added during the be short-listed for the European Green Capital Award. period 1995-2005. 9. Quality of life: Bristol is one of the world's top ten 4. Key sectors: Bristol is renowned for its excellence cities to visit according to DK Eyewitness, the in knowledge-intensive and creative industries. world’s best-selling guidebook publisher. Its Airbus, Rolls-Royce, Aardman Animations, BBC, international profile reflects a rich fusion of cultural Garrad Hassan, Hewlett-Packard and Toshiba all heritage, surrounding natural beauty and a bustling have offices in Bristol. mix of communities. 5. People & skills: Employers within Bristol have 10. Shopping: The redeveloped Broadmead shopping access to a 600,000 workforce and the greatest area (the South West's largest retail centre) and proportion of highly qualified workers of any Cabot Circus (new £500m retail and leisure comparable English city outside of London. development) will put Bristol in the UK's top 10 shopping locations. 3 © Rolls-Royce PLC 2006 www.investinbristol.com 4 Public Sector Relocation The public sector has a strong presence in the Bristol In 2007 the Ministry of Defence established the area and is represented at the regional and national level Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) organisation by a variety of organisations. following the merger of the Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO) and the Defence Procurement Bristol's offer to public sector organisations was Agency (DPA) - DE&S headquarters are based at Abbey underlined by the Lyons Review of public sector Wood, Bristol, with over 9,500 staff. relocation, which rated Bristol as a 'top location' for The Environment Agency's head office is split between higher value, policy and science functions. Bristol and London. In 2005 OFSTED expanded its office presence in the city to accommodate its headquarters for the south Public Sector Organisations: of England. A further 50 posts will be relocated from • Audit Commission London by September 2009. • Bristol City Council Another recent public sector investment is the • Defence Equipment and Support (MoD) redevelopment of Bristol's Grade II music venue, • Environment Agency Colston Hall with a £20m Phase 1 funding package due • Government Office for the South West for completion in spring 2009. • HEFCE The Government has also approved plans for a privately • OFSTED funded £45m South Bristol Community Hospital • Planning Inspectorate (Hengrove Park) - due to open in 2009. Bristol and its surrounding area are covered by 4 local authorities (Bristol City, Bath and North East The Audit Commission's regional office and national ICT Somerset, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire), function are based locally, as is the Government Office all of which are significant employers along with Bristol's for the South West. NHS Trusts. 5 www.investinbristol.com "Our commitment to Bristol is clearly demonstrated through the development and expansion of our Abbey Wood site. The employment opportunities this offers, covering the service and construction elements as well as our MoD people, inevitably play a significant role in the area’s economy. " Tim Flesher, DE&S’s Head of Corporate Services 6 Defence Equipment & Support (MoD) Case Study DE&S’s Head of Corporate Services, Tim Flesher, said: “The new development will enable us to bring more of our people to this site, not only enabling us to deliver even more effective support to current and Defence Equipment and Support , the MoD organisation responsible for acquisition and support of future operations, but also providing military kit, plans to concentrate key elements at its more opportunities for rewarding headquarters in Abbey Wood, Filton. This involves careers and the development of moving people from other locations around the UK, creating a DE&S population in Bristol of around 10,000 professional skills.” by 2012. The constantly evolving and exciting working Plans are already under way and over 1000 staff have environment offers excellent opportunities for personal moved into refurbished buildings adjacent to Abbey and professional development, where staff can acquire Wood, known as “Neighbourhood 5”. In March 2008, multiple skills in a wide range of activities. There are planning approval was granted for the proposed opportunities to work overseas, change roles and even construction of a new 600 desk building there, and a switch careers. Regular recruitment opportunities decision about whether this will go ahead is expected include graduates, junior administrative staff, apprentice in late summer 2008. technicians and specialist engineers. 7 © Crown Copyright © Rolls-Royce PLC 2006 www.investinbristol.com 8 HEFCE Case Study The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has been based on the main campus of the University of the West of England in north Bristol for over 15 years. We are a national organisation responsible for distributing over £7 billion to universities and colleges. We work in partnership with many organisations across the country and many of our 260 staff travel regularly to meetings. Bristol has easy access to both the M4 and M5 corridor, and express trains mean that London is accessible in well under two hours. “Bristol is an historic, interesting and vibrant city to live in. This enables us to recruit from national, as well as strong local labour markets.” Lucy Powe, Head of Organisational Development, HEFCE 9 www.investinbristol.com 10 Ofsted Case Study In 2004 Ofsted announced a rationalisation from eight “Bristol was the obvious choice for us as the regional centres down to three.