Jobs and skills ‘dividend’ from major Warwickshire employment site

Prospero Ansty, the most significant strategic employment opportunity in Coventry & Warwickshire, could create more than 5,000 new jobs and £300 million in GVA it was revealed this week, according to a panel led by the former Chair of the Education Select Committee, Neil Carmichael.

Located adjacent to Ansty Park, Prospero Ansty is a proposal for up to 2,300,000 sq ft of employment space, responding to the needs of high-tech industrial and manufacturing businesses. At an event this week chaired by Carmichael, who is also Chair of the Pearson Skills Commission, representatives from across the region set out to identify Prospero Ansty’s contribution to employment and skills.

Attended by representatives from Rugby Borough Council, Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County Council, Coventry & Warwickshire LEP and the Chamber of Commerce, the strategic opportunity was presented by developers Manse Opus, ahead of a wider discussion on the proposal’s contribution.

Richard Smith, Joint Managing Director at Manse Opus, said:

“Prospero Ansty is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create jobs and real economic growth. Our proposals are not another business park, they will attract some of the world’s biggest employers to our region, delivering a jobs and skills ‘dividend’ to the people of Coventry & Warwickshire.

“We have already secured Meggit as the first occupier at Prospero Ansty and we are now preparing a masterplan for the entire development in anticipation of securing further exciting occupiers in the near future.”
Manse Opus intend to submit an outline planning application to Rugby Borough Council in the coming months, with work already underway on the first 500,000 sq ft building which will be occupied by Meggitt.
Richard continued: “Presenting our proposals to stakeholders from across Coventry & Warwickshire, we set out to identify how Prospero Ansty could contribute to the skills and jobs agenda in the region, to make the most of the opportunity.

“There were some fascinating contributions and it seems clear that we, as developers, and businesses need to do more to engage with schools and Further Education colleges to prepare our young people for the jobs of the future – jobs which are likely to be in the high tech employers attracted to Prospero Ansty.”

Neil Carmichael, former Chair of the Education Select Committee and Chair of the Pearson Skills Commission, added:

“Prospero Ansty is undoubtedly a huge opportunity, not just for Coventry & Warwickshire but for the UK as well. The job creation alone will be so important to future prosperity.

“The ambition of Manse Opus is clear and the potential benefits to local and national economic growth are massive. Our big challenge, as a country, is improving our productivity levels and opportunities like Prospero Ansty combined with partnership working across public and private sector is the key to unlocking the full benefits of exciting schemes such as this.”