Bristol has weathered the economic challenges it has faced over the past five years and is now becoming a leading UK hub of prosperity and development. The claim was made when Mayor, George Ferguson, the Chairman of the West of England LEP, Colin Skellett, and the Chief Executive of the Bristol and Bath Science Park, Bonnie Dean, joined speakers from the Bristol office of GVA to address approximately 100 invited representatives from the property industry.
The event was held immediately before MIPIM. For the first time, delegates from Bristol and Bath were planning to attend the international property convention in Cannes.
Mayor Ferguson said; “Bristol is changing. We have more to offer in terms of variety, lifestyle and industries outside of London. We are making commercial decisions to capture investment and my door is open. Bristol is the laboratory of change, come and bring your ideas.”
David Mace, the Senior Director of GVA’s Bristol Office, was the chair for the event and was part of the Bristol and Bath delegation at MIPIM. He reiterated that despite the economic challenges the city has faced over the past few years, it has remained resilient.
The “scale and diversity of its economy” and its highly-skilled workforce have been factors in its favour. Bristol is a centre of excellence in research, science, and education, and has attracted public and private sector investment for major projects, including superfast broadband, road improvement projects and the electrification of the mainline between London and Bristol.
Colin Skellett, the Chairman of the West of England LEP, said that the City Deal investment of £1 billion is helping to encourage economic growth. He stated that the local economy is holding up very well and pointed out that the Bristol area has the highest GDP per head after London and Edinburgh. The local universities were also praised as “key economic drivers.”
“We have key enterprise areas and zones each with different needs. Infrastructure commitments are in place, and we are ready and ripe for investment. Our vision is for a world class city, with a highly skilled workforce and a thriving diversified economy,” Mr Skellett concluded.
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