Stevenage Borough Council

Stevenage has entered a new era, with ambitious plans for growth and development to 2021.

The town has been identified in the East of England Plan as a Key Centre for Development and Change (KCDC), and as a strategically important employment location for the region.

Situated 30 miles north of London on the A1M road, Stevenage boasts excellent transport links and infrastructure. It is also on the main East Coast rail line from London to Edinburgh and is only 25 minutes from London’s Kings Cross station and the new Eurostar terminal at St Pancras station.

As a result of its great location, Stevenage has attracted several large companies in the Aerospace, Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering, Computing and Pharmaceuticals sectors. This has created a strong, diverse and prosperous local economy.

Working in partnership with these businesses, Stevenage Borough Council is developing modern environments that will continue to attract employers and investment. To complement this growth, a major redevelopment of the town centre is planned, and will include contemporary urban architecture alongside inspiring public spaces. A new retail area, department stores, cafes and restaurants will breathe new life into Stevenage as it enters an exciting phase of regeneration, investment and economic development.

Stevenage offers a variety of employment and growth opportunities and is dedicated to investing in education and training. Working in partnership with the North Hertfordshire College, the Council has opened a brand new Skills Centre in Stevenage that offers state-of-the-art training facilities for construction, automotive and aircraft maintenance courses.

Assistance and Support For New Business Investors

We are committed to helping businesses and the local economy flourish. With the uncertain financial climate and challenging times we face, we are more committed than ever to supporting and promoting the key drivers of our local economy.

In order to ensure that Stevenage remains a prosperous and pleasant place to live and work, we need successful businesses, ambitious entrepreneurs and a vibrant town centre, and we will strive to achieve this.

The Council’s economic development team works with a number of agencies and organisations who offer direct support to local businesses. This provides a strong support network to encourage an enterprising and entrepreneurial culture, with start-up services and an Enterprise Hub available at the Business & Technology Centre, based in the centre of Gunnels Wood – the major employment area within Stevenage.

We communicate with businesses through our Economic Bulletin and Business Forum:

The Bulletin is intended to keep businesses up to date with Council plans and activities plus any new initiatives or schemes offering support. A monthly County Economic Briefing is also posted on our web-site giving a summary of the current situation regarding the national, regional and local economy.

The Business Forum meets three times a year to discuss mutual issues relating to the area, with three sub-groups focussing on Transport & Planning, Education & Skills and Environmental Sustainability.

Existing Business Base

Stevenage has a strong and diverse business base which has already attracted several large companies, such as Glaxo Smith Kline (Pharmaceuticals), EADS Astrium (Satellite Technology) and MBDA (Aerospace) amongst others.

There are approx 2700 businesses within the area and a higher than average percentage of jobs in the knowledge sector.

Stevenage has one of the largest employment parks in Hertfordshire, which is located within very easy reach of Junctions 7 and 8 of the A1(M) road, and a 4000sqm Business & Technology centre dedicated to enterprise, innovation and growth of knowledge and technology businesses.