SLDC support GSK Investment with unique Local Development
Order
24 August 2011
South Lakeland District Council is backing a
bid by global pharmaceutical giant, Glaxosmithkline (GSK) to bring
major investment to the company’s site at Ulverston in South
Cumbria.
GSK have signalled they wish to invest more
than five hundred million pounds in a hi-tech biopharmaceutical
plant in the UK, and the company’s existing site in Ulverston is
one of four potential sites competing for this major
investment. The Government is currently consulting on Patent
Box legislation, which will cut corporation tax on Research and
Development in the UK to only 10%.
SLDC is doing everything within its power to
ensure that Ulverston secures this huge capital investment, which
would attract high value high tech jobs to Ulverston, South
Lakeland and Cumbria.
At a recent Cabinet meeting, SLDC pledged to
streamline the planning process by progressing a pioneering Local
Development Order (LDO). This is a different way of granting
planning permission for a new manufacturing plant on the existing
site and means that planning regulations will be relaxed. The
council will also waive planning fees that could have been in the
region of between £45,000 to £92,000.
Councillor Graham Vincent, portfolio
holder for Enterprise and Economy, said: “This is a
fantastic opportunity to be grasped with both hands. The
investment potential is incredible as it could bring around £10m
into the South Lakeland economy every year. The council will
be fighting hard to win this and will do everything in its power to
help and support Glaxosmithkline with their plans.”
This will be the first LDO to be created in
Cumbria and underlines the council’s commitment to ensuring that
GSK Ulverston is well placed to attract the potential investment.
The LDO would be issued as a ‘one off’ as the council aims to
support this major opportunity to attract significant investment to
Ulverston and South Lakeland.
GSK are looking at four existing sites in the UK and Ulverston,
Barnard Castle, Montrose and Irvine in Scotland will be considered
first. SLDC officers are working closely with GSK Ulverston
to make sure the best proposal is presented in terms of skills,
community support, education, housing, culture and
environment. This will underpin the benefits of building a
new plant in Ulverston and show the council’s overwhelming support
for this investment