Council agrees next step in creation of state-of-the art business centre in town - The Stratford Observer

Council agrees next step in creation of state-of-the art business centre in town

Stratford Editorial 30th Jul, 2015 Updated: 28th Oct, 2016   0

A STATE-OF-THE-ART business centre in Stratford is one step closer.

This time last year Stratford District Council secured £450,000 from central government to set up the centre, which is designed to help businesses with growth, innovation, and training.

It is envisaged the centre will also help provide a permanent base to accommodate conferences and meetings for businesses.

The council-owned Progress House, on Avenue Farm Industrial Estate off Birmingham Road, will be transformed using the cash – part of £74 million windfall received by Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) from the Government’s Local Growth fund to help revitalise local economies.




The new centre will not only help existing home-based businesses make the transition to commercial premises but in addition to supporting business, it will also work closely with existing business centres and networks in the district.

Earlier this year, pupils from King Edwards VI School Sixth Form were invited to design and develop a logo, which represented the right image to attract businesses.


And following the competition, it was decided the new building would be renamed Venture House.

Currently, the building is leased to Biffa but the council say parts of the fabric – particularly roofing, cladding and some windows – are reaching the end of their life.

As part of this project, they aim to use some of the cash windfall to carry out refurbishments and improvements in the building.

But to enable the next stage of the development to progress, the council needed to formally rubber stamp the proposed tender criteria to select a contractor to carry out the works at Venture House.

And at a meeting on Monday (July 27) members of the authority’s Cabinet agreed to award the contract for the works to the most ‘economically advantageous’ tender.

District council finance spokeswoman, Coun Lynda Organ, said: ”This is a brilliant opportunity for new start-up businesses and those wishing to grow.

“The project is a great example of the district council supporting new and local businesses.”

A contractor will now be appointed to carry out the refurbishment works, which are expected to begin sometime in August.

It is hoped the refurbishment will be completed by late autumn of this year.

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