Locate in Kent | December 2010 Newsletter

December 2010

A Merry Christmas from us all at Locate in Kent
Locate in Kent would like to wish all its partners, clients and contacts a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. The Locate in Kent office will be closed between Christmas and New Year, from 25th December until 4th January 2011. Please note Locate in Kent's postcode has changed to ME19 4DG. All other address and contact details remain the same.

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Supported by

One major LEP for Kent, Medway, Essex and East Sussex

The government has now approved the creation of a Local Enterprise Partnership for Kent, Medway, Essex and East Sussex - the first to be established in England. A new partnership between business and local government, the new LEP will take a strategic approach to unlocking regeneration and growth, championing the development of Thames Gateway and growth areas, enabling the regeneration of coastal East Kent and realising the potential of the rural economy.

The interim board of the LEP will meet in January and will be made up of a private sector chairman and 38 members, 14 from Kent and Medway, 14 from Essex and 10 from East Sussex. In Kent, these 14 members will consist of the Leaders of Kent County Council and Medway Council, five Kent District Council Leaders and seven business people. This board will guide the early days of the LEP. The first full board meeting is expected to take place in April. For more information contact ross.gill@kent.gov.uk.

Kent marks high speed rail anniversaries

On 1 December, Kent marked the 20th anniversary of the day French and British construction workers broke through the final wall of rock to join the two halves of the Channel Tunnel, connecting Britain to France. Commercial Eurostar services began in November 1994, while the Eurotunnel shuttle services for cars began in December of the same year.

On 13 December, the domestic high speed services from many Kent towns to St Pancras International, had been running for a year. There are now 500,000 journeys made on the high speed rail service every month.

Locate in Kent considers the county's proximity to London and the continent and its 'connectivity credentials' to be one of its unique selling points to investors. Companies including creative agency Sagittarius and French-owned electronics repairer SBE have invested in Ashford and benefit from the town's fast links to the City and the Continent. Locate in Kent currently has 20 French and Belgian-owned companies in its project pipeline looking to invest in Kent.

Kent Developers Group

Kent Developers Group (KDG) is a unique association of 13 owners and developers of sites in Kent and Medway, chaired by Nick Fenton of Ward Homes. The group's objectives are to remove barriers to growth and bring about deliverable development and a functional property market.

Exclusive access is available to senior officers and members at Kent County Council and Kent Planning Officers Group, to promote working together more closely and influence how Kent's planning system works. Members also have the opportunity to lobby face to face with other organisations such as the Highways Agency and the Environment Agency.

KDG is an official consultee on a range of strategic documents such as Kent's Housing Strategy and Section 106 frameworks. Quarterly meetings provide networking and discussion of legal and planning matters, the environment, sustainability and design. In-between meetings, professionally prepared planning updates are provided as well as access to bespoke research from Locate in Kent. KDG is a part owner of Locate in Kent and has three places on its Board of Directors. For more information visit http://www.locateinkent.com/links/links.php?l=118 and to join KDG contact mandyb@locateinkent.com.

Full steam ahead for RailSimulator.com

Following assistance from Locate in Kent, Guildford-based RailSimulator.com has expanded into Kent.

Since taking premises at the new hub for creative businesses, The Joiner's Shop at Chatham Historic Dockyard in late summer, the game development firm has gone from strength to strength.

Its new product, RailWorks2 Train Simulator, has been listed in the top 10 most downloaded games in the world and has sold 40,000 copies since it was launched in October.

The Kent operation has a team of seven working on domestic and professional simulation software and the company has plans to create 15 more jobs in the county.

According to Paul Jackson Esq. OBE, Managing Director of RailSimulator.com, Kent was the natural choice due to high-speed transport links, skilled graduates and fantastic facilities.

For more information about RailSimulator.com visit www.railsimulator.com.

Inchoak and Thintech join Locate in Kent

Inchoak Office Interiors and Thintech have recently joined Locate in Kent's corporate partnership scheme. Inchoak is a premier office refurbishment company providing space planning and interiors project management, with a comprehensive range of office furniture and office products. For more information visit www.inchoak.co.uk.

Thintech provides secure online IT services to small to medium sized businesses ensuring cost savings, greater reliability and convenience. The company's ThintechOnline service enables businesses to operate from any location; home, office or mobile using the latest cloud computing technology. For more information visit www.thintech.co.uk.

Locate in Kent has a wide range of corporate partners. For details, see the Partnership Directory on the Locate in Kent website - www.locateinkent.com/partners. The Corporate Partnership scheme is aimed at all companies looking for new business opportunities. Membership costs £1,500 plus VAT per year and benefits include a company listing and link on the Locate in Kent website, invitations to networking events and entry in the Partnership Directory, which is distributed widely to clients. For more information call Lizzy Crofts on 01732 520700.

www.locateinkent.com


	Contact us We hope you have found this newsletter interesting and informative. If you would like further information about the work of Locate in Kent please do not hesitate to contact us by phone on +44 (0)1732 520 700 or email enquiries@locateinkent.com. Alternatively please visit our website www.locateinkent.com.