Local businesses are being invited to get ahead of major development and supply-chain opportunities as Wychavon prepares for significant investment in regeneration, housing, employment and infrastructure.
FinditinWorcestershire, together with event sponsors, The Worcestershire Growth Hub, Wychavon District Council and The Wood Norton, will bring together local businesses, developers, public-sector partners and business support organisations at Building a Sustainable Future: Wychavon Growth & Regeneration, taking place at the grade II listed country house hotel near Evesham, on 11 November, from 9am – midday.
The event will explore the opportunities being created through some of the area’s most significant development projects, including Worcester Six, the redevelopment of Evesham’s Riverside Shopping Centre, and the Wychavon Town development.
Delegates will hear from senior representatives involved in shaping and delivering the area’s growth, including Cllr Richard Morris, Leader of Wychavon District Council; Rebecca Buckley, Site Delivery Lead, and Guy Kippen, Strategic Sites Project Manager, both of Wychavon District Council; Judy Gibbs, Head of Skills at Worcestershire County Council; Edward Peel, Director at Stoford Developments; and Andy McNair, Health, Safety, Quality & Environment Director at Benniman Construction Group Ltd.
Cllr Morris will set out the vision for sustainable growth and regeneration across Wychavon, looking at how investment in new communities, employment space, infrastructure and town-centre regeneration can support jobs, skills, local businesses and long-term economic prosperity.
He said: “Wychavon is entering an exciting period of growth and investment, with major developments that will create new homes, jobs, skills and opportunities for businesses across the district.
“Our ambition is to make sure that growth delivers lasting benefits for our communities. That means creating well-connected, sustainable places, supporting people into new employment and skills opportunities, and ensuring local businesses have every opportunity to be part of the investment taking place here.
“This event is an important opportunity to bring businesses, developers and partners together, share the scale of what is coming and start building the relationships that will help us maximise the economic benefit for Wychavon.”
Rebecca Buckley and Guy Kippen will take delegates through the strategic development pipeline in more detail, including Wychavon Town and the Riverside regeneration project, providing insight into planning and delivery timescales, procurement routes and what SMEs should consider now to prepare for future opportunities.
Edward Peel, Director at Stoford Developments, will provide a private-sector perspective through the continuing development of Worcester Six Business Park, examining how major commercial developments progress from planning and infrastructure through to construction and occupation, and what that can mean for local supply chains.
He said: “I’m looking forward to sharing Stoford’s experience of delivering best-in-class assets at Worcester Six and across the wider UK industrial, logistics and office development sector.
“Sustainability is integral to our approach, with evolving requirements shaping how our developments are delivered.”
The theme of sustainability will run through the morning, with businesses able to explore how requirements around low-carbon construction, biodiversity, green infrastructure, environmental performance and social value are increasingly influencing both major developments and the expectations placed on their supply chains.
The agenda will also highlight the jobs and skills requirements created by long-term growth and signpost businesses towards support that can help them strengthen their sustainability credentials, skills base and readiness to tender for new work.
Darren Schrouder, Worcestershire Growth Hub Manager, said: “The scale of development taking place across Wychavon represents a real opportunity for local businesses.
“Our priority is to help SMEs prepare through access to business support initiatives, skills support, procurement opportunities, and funding to facilitate growth.
“By connecting businesses with the right support now, we can help ensure that as these projects progress, more of the economic benefit stays within Worcestershire.”
The event is being organised by FinditinWorcestershire, part of the established Finditin Network and based in Kidderminster. The organisation plays a key role in connecting Worcestershire businesses with major buyers, contractors and public sector organisations, opening doors to valuable procurement opportunities, new partnerships and local economic growth.
Paul Long, Director of FinditinWorcestershire said: “There is a huge difference between finding out about an opportunity when the tender lands and understanding the pipeline early enough to prepare for it.
“This event is about giving Worcestershire businesses that early visibility – helping them understand where investment is heading, and what they can do now to put themselves in the strongest possible position.”
With contractors from several of the region’s infrastructure projects attending, who will be announced on FinditinWorcestershire next week, the event is aimed at businesses across construction, manufacturing and the wider built-environment supply chain, as well as companies working in landscaping, ecology, biodiversity, drainage and water management, energy, transport, training and other areas that could support the delivery and long-term operation of new developments.
The event is free to businesses based in Wychavon District and businesses can register to attend at www.finditinworcestershire.com/events/building-a-sustainable-future-wychavon-town-regeneration–growth