It’s official – Stockton Council is creating the right conditions for business growth!
New statistics have ranked the Council as a top performer for determining major planning applications and revealed a Borough-wide increase in business start-ups.
Meanwhile, the town centre Enterprise Arcade continues to provide new businesses with a springboard to success and the area is seeing a rapidly emerging cluster of digital technology businesses.
The Borough of Stockton has also been identified in a national survey as one of the top ten per cent of places to do business with an outstanding environment and business infrastructure as well as a strong skill base and sound economic performance.
Cllr Michael Smith, Stockton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Transport, said: “ Stockton business really is buzzing – we’re delighted that a range of research and statistics are showing that Stockton Council is helping to create the right conditions for growth.”
Stockton Council has been identified as one of the top performing local authorities in the country for determining major planning applications.
Cllr Smith said “At Stockton, we’re committed to supporting business growth and job creation and major planning applications often relate to business development and investment.
“The fact that we are supporting business growth through determining major planning applications quickly – following the proper processes – is a real demonstration of why Stockton is home to a growing number of national and international businesses.”
Stockton Borough is also experiencing its highest-ever number of company start-ups.
Research shows that a total of 211 companies were registered in Stockton during the first quarter of 2013 (Jan 2013 – Mar 2013); this figure is an increase of 6.0% versus the same period last year (Q1 2012). This figure compares well to the UK as a whole, which saw an increase of 2.5% against the same period last year.
A new report by the National Institute for Economic and Social Research, commissioned by Google also shows that Middlesbrough and Stockton have the highest concentration of technology based businesses in the North East, supporting more growth and jobs than many other areas of the UK.
Approximately 1,260 companies in the area are making use of and relying on technology to run their businesses – the highest proportion in the region.
Cllr Smith said: “With recent major investment for global companies totalling over £350million, new job creation, the regeneration of the High Street, as well as local start-ups increasing at a greater rate than the national average – Stockton is all set for a prosperous future.”
For more information about planning or business growth and investment, please visit www.stockton.gov.uk
