| December 2011 Merry Christmas! |
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| East Kent Grants | |
| On 31 October, the Government announced that East Kent had been awarded £40million from the Regional Growth Fund to drive new jobs and business growth. The fund provides money to deliver 'Expansion East Kent', a programme of direct grant support for businesses in Dover, Canterbury, Shepway and Thanet, which could create and safeguard around 5,000 jobs. Expansion East Kent will operate three types of grant - subject to contract:
Following due diligence, setup of the programme is anticipated in late 2011/early 2012, with the grants becoming open to applicants in April 2012. For further details on 'Expansion East Kent' grants, please visit www.locateinkent.com/grants. |
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| Vestas awarded regional growth fund | |
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On 31 October 2011, the Government also announced that Vestas Technology UK was successful in their Regional Growth Fund bid. The aim of Vestas bid is to support the development and production of their next generation wind turbine blade, the V164 rotor. The company have currently been awarded the provisional go ahead, but need to go through a due diligence process before it is officially confirmed. It has been stated that the money will be split between the development of the technology, process development and training of production staff that will take place on the Isle of Wight. Once the R&D is complete, the large scale production will begin at their Sheerness plant on the Isle of Sheppey. It is hoped that due diligence will be completed in early 2012. To find out more about Vestas plans for Sheerness, click here. |
| 20th Kent Property Market Report gives reasons for confidence | |
| A positive outlook for Kent is the conclusion of the 20th annual Kent Property Market Report (KPMR), which was launched in Ashford in October. The report, written by Kent County Council, Cluttons LLP, and Locate in Kent, reviews property performance and major deals in Kent and provides insight into the County's commercial, retail, tourism, rural and residential property markets, and its regeneration programmes. In summary, the report announced that the agricultural office, industrial and residential sectors have all performed well when compared to regional averages, while significant regeneration projects and growth areas in the Thames Gateway, Ashford and the coastal and principal towns are well advanced, opening up some of the most significant investment opportunities in the South East. The number of companies looking to locate in the County also remains healthy. In celebration of the 20 year milestone of the KPMR, the report also includes a review of all the major development successes within the County over this period. It's an impressive list and shows how much the County has progressed since 1991. The report is available to view online via www.kentpropertymarket.com. |
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| Perfect partnerships | |
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Larkings Chartered Accountants, Manston Airport and Realia Marketing have joined Locate in Kent's corporate partnership scheme. Larkings has offices in Maidstone, Canterbury and Ashford and has over 120 years of experience in providing expert advice to the SME market. They specialise in healthcare, charity and agriculture sectors. Visit www.larkings.co.uk for further information. Manston, Kent's International Airport in Thanet has a developing passenger business and rapid growth in freight volumes, and represents one of the best regional airport opportunities in the UK. For further information, visit www.manstonairport.com. Realia is a full service marketing agency based in Folkestone, which specialises in creating communications strategies including branding. For further details visit www.team-realia.com. The Corporate Partnership scheme is aimed at all companies looking for new business opportunities. The wide range of corporate partners can be seen here - www.locateinkent.com/partners. |
| Kentish apple secures coveted award | |
| The Kentish grown Rubens apple has, for the second consecutive year, been awarded 'Britain's tastiest apple' at the National Fruit Show, the industry's annual showcase at the Kent County Showground. The fruit returned to our supermarket shelves in October and with this new accolade, its Kentish growers, located at nine farms across the County, are now receiving a well earned boost. The apple, a cross between a Gala and an Elstar, is relatively new to the British market only having been introduced a little over four years ago. But despite its relative youth, this Kentish stock is taking the fruit market by storm with its sweet and sharp flavour, crisp texture and characteristic crunch. As a gift to our Locate in Kent friends and partners this Christmas, please visit http://www.tastyrubens.com/ for the delicious recipe for a Rubens Apple Tart with Pepper and Vanilla Cream, prepared by celebrity chef Richard Phillips and perfect for the festive period. |
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© Locate in Kent Ltd 2011 | www.locateinkent.com |  |
