THE Government has announced a £19.8million investment into the Airport Business Park, which is in addition to a previous £3million in allocated funding.

The funding, from the Local Growth Fund, forms part of capital projects for the South East Local Enterprise Partnership.

The announcement was made this morning by Andrew Percy MP, Minister at the Department for Communities and Local Government, who has responsibility for local growth.

Mr Percy announced a government cash injection of £102 million for capital projects for the South East Local Enterprise Partnership, which covers East Sussex, Essex, Kent, Medway, Southend and Thurrock, with seven projects across Greater Essex set to benefit.

Southend Council has secured one-fifth of the entire allocation across the partnership area, and the funding will allow for a new Innovation Centre to be built on the Airport Business Park.

John Lamb, leader of Southend Council, welcomed the funding announcement, praising the work that the council put in to achieve this level of funding.

He said: “This is fantastic news and further proof that Southend continues to punch above its weight when it comes to bidding for external funding.

“For the borough to receive nearly one-fifth of all available funding for the South East of England is a great achievement and testament to the hard work that we have been doing to make this development a reality.  More importantly this will help us to deliver the Innovation Centre at Airport Business Park and the final enabling infrastructure works with our partners Henry Boot Developments. "

James Duddridge, MP for Rochford and Southend East, announced the Government investment and said he was delighted.

The MP has been heavily lobbying Ministers at the Department for Communities and Local Government in a bid to secure the funds from the Growth Deal Three Allocation.

He said: “I am delighted that I was able to lobby the Minister successfully to see Southend Airport benefiting from £34million of funding.

“The South East Local Enterprise Partnership submitted a strong bid and I am delighted to have been able to support the bid.

“I am really excited about the future. I look forward to seeing the innovation centre develop and the jobs that this scheme is creating for the local area.”

An eager Mr Duddridge tweeted, a day before the official announcement: “Great to see Southend Business Park will get £34million of investment. I lobbied hard for this behind closed doors and in the House of Commons.”

The one million sq ft development, being built on land off Cherry Orchard Lane, Rochford, will create an estimated 7,500 jobs once complete. Office accommodation for high-tech businesses, start-up companies, an innovation centre and hotel are planned to be provided at the new park.

Denise Rossiter, chief executive of Essex Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the news. She said: “It is fantastic, we completely welcome the news that the business park will be getting further investment and we look forward to exciting times in the future. The investment will be a great boost for Southend and Rochford and their economy. Many jobs will be created.

“All I can say is that any business that is looking for new premises should get involved in what will be one of the fastest growing developments.

“It is such fantastic news for the borough and the project.”

In total the South East Local Enterprise Partnership Growth Deal from 2014 - 2020 now stands at £590.8m which is set to deliver 78,000 jobs, 29,000 homes in total and attract a further £960 million extra investment into the South East over the next five years.

The projects in Essex, Southend and Thurrock set to receive funding are:

•       Airport Business Park Southend Phase 2 (£19.89m)

•       Gilden Way upgrading, Harlow (£5m)

•       Technical and Professional Skills Centre at Stansted Airport (£3.5m)

•       Innovation Centre (Phase 1) at University of Essex Knowledge Gateway, Colchester (£2m)

•       STEM Innovation Campus, Colchester Institute (£5m)

•       A127 at Fairglen (£6.235m)

•       M11 jn8 improvements (£2.73m)

•       Grays South (£10.84m)

Any businesses interested in opportunities at Airport Business Park Southend should contact the retained commercial agents Dedman Gray on 01702 311111 or Kemsley on 01268 532425.