Council buys 65 acres of land for new business park

Cllr Tom Cunningham, Cabinet Member for Economic Development at Braintree District Council. Picture: Paul Starr (Image: PAUL STARR Photographer)

The council’s vision for the park, called Horizon 120, is to create a business community attractive to a number of sectors including professional services, research, digital and development sectors and advanced manufacturing.

The site is of particular interest to companies working with Stansted Airport.

The project team continue to take calls from “prestigious names” it claims are eager to be part of the new park, which has the potential to create up to 2,000 jobs.

Cllr Tom Cunningham, Cabinet member for Economic Development at Braintree District Council, said: “Horizon 120 will be the place to do business in the East of England. We are in a great strategic location. We’re close to Stansted Airport, close to the ports, close to Cambridge and London.

“We are already delighted by the level of interest in the site which has exceeded even the highest of our expectations.

“It’s attracting inward investment, businesses that need to expand can come to Braintree and they will be a great source of highly skilled jobs for our district’s residents. It’s important for us that residents who call the district their home do not have to commute outside the area for good jobs.”

The new park will be located next to Great Notley Country Park, which is 100 acres of open space with variouys playgrounds and a Sky Ropes attraction.

Cllr Cunningham explains that the council’s vision for Horizon 120 is of a “real business community where employees can have a drink, drop children off at childcare and enjoy a lunchtime run in the beautiful Great Notley Country Park”. “Horizon 120 will mean that residents have better access to skilled jobs in a great setting close to home,” he added.