Council showcases West Northants as a must-invest destination to over 13,000 delegates at UKREiiF

24 May 2024

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) joined forces with the Oxford to Cambridge pan-Regional Partnership at the UK’s Real Estate, Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) this week.

Held in Leeds from 21 to 23 May, with over 13,000 delegates attending from across the UK and internationally, the conference focuses on connecting investors and developers with local places. 

WNC’s purpose for attending UKREiiF included promoting West Northamptonshire as an area for investment, to raise the profile of the place and the local offer, to collaborate with wider areas and partners, as well as to promote investible opportunities available through live and upcoming regeneration schemes, including the Greyfriars masterplan in Northampton town centre. The Council was inundated with meetings and discussions across the forum discussing the benefits of investing in the local area. 

In order to capitalise on the volume of potential investors at the forum, WNC hosted a panel event on fast-paced research and development and revolution in skills, providing a deep dive into the robust capabilities across West Northants and the wider region including the cluster of skills and abilities. 

The panel was attended by many interested parties to hear how they can invest in this area and heard from WNC’s Assistant Director of Place-Shaping, the Head of Sustainable Investment & Partnerships at Prologis, the Head of Business Sustainability & Partnerships at Silverstone Circuit and the Director of the Arc Universities Group. WNC offered panel attendees bespoke and custom-made chocolate formula 1 helmets, created by local chocolatier Racing Chocs.

“We are thrilled to have been a part of UKREiiF this year, showcasing what West Northants has to offer, including why our area is so attractive for investment and how the public and private sector are collaborating to develop a thriving place that will achieve an inclusive and sustainable economy.

“West Northants is home to high-tech innovation, multi-million-pound regeneration and advanced infrastructure as well as being the logistics powerhouse of the UK, all of these things make it the perfect place for investors and businesses to prosper.

“It was fantastic to be part of the Oxford-Cambridge pavilion where we showcased the great assets and opportunities within West Northamptonshire to a national and international audience, raising our profile as a destination of excellence for business and investment.”Cllr Daniel Lister, Cabinet Member for Local Economy, Culture & Leisure

“It’s abundantly clear that West Northamptonshire has a bright future. Using UKREiiF as a platform to champion their ambitions, there was a great deal of interest from investors who want to be involved in West Northamptonshire’s growth story.

“We were delighted to work with the highly professional economic development team to present the business and development opportunities as we continue to profile the Oxford to Cambridge region as a science and innovation superpower.”Dr Richard Hutchins, Managing Director of the Oxford-Cambridge pan-Regional Partnership