News / York and North Yorkshire beats the South as...
York and North Yorkshire beats the South as Business Location
Almost twice as many businesses believe they would be better off located in York and North Yorkshire compared to London and the South East, according to the findings of a new survey released today. Independent research carried out on behalf of york-england.com, the Inward Investment Board for York and North Yorkshire, found that quality of life, cost of living and running costs were all seen to be significantly better for businesses in York and North Yorkshire compared to London and the South East.
In the survey of 36 senior decision makers at businesses spread across North Yorkshire and the South of England in six key sectors, Bioscience, Creative & Cultural, Food & Drink, IT & Digital, Logistics & Distribution and the Public Sector, eight out of ten businesses believed they would be better off in York and North Yorkshire in terms of quality of life and cost of living. Seven out of ten businesses believed location impacts on profitability and that running costs are lower in the North versus the South.
york-england.com, which is directly responsible for attracting 61 companies to York and North Yorkshire over the last three years, commissioned the survey to gain a better understanding of the perceptions of York and North Yorkshire as a place to do business and identify key factors for companies when considering a business location.
One in three respondents from York and North Yorkshire said they had relocated to the area from other parts of the UK and 100% said they would never consider relocating to the South of England. This compared to 17% of respondents from London and the South East who said they would potentially consider moving their business north.
Respondents from the South cited twice as many 'downsides' to their current location than those in York and North Yorkshire. The high cost of living topped the list of negatives from the South followed by competition for staff, quality of life, overpopulation and commuting. From the North the most cited negatives were the distance from international airports, a lack of industry and a shortage of business parks.
Bioscience received the strongest endorsement from companies based in York and North Yorkshire who were very clear about the benefits of being located in the region, citing links with the University of York and the importance of being in an 'up and coming' Science City like York as the main factors. Southern-based public sector organisations were the best informed about York and North Yorkshire and all respondents from this sector were positive about the area as a business location. However overall, 44 per cent of respondents from the South had no idea what the region had to offer as a business location, highlighting the importance of work by york-england.com in marketing the region as a top business location.
The survey supports research carried out by Sheffield University in 2006, which placed Yorkshire and the Humber second only to Northern Ireland in a league table ranking UK regions by improvements in their "competitiveness", and showed a closing of the North-South divide. Yorkshire's competitiveness has improved by 4.2 per cent in the last year compared with a decline of 0.7 per cent in London and the South East.
Over the last decade, york-england.com has been instrumental in attracting 130 companies to the region, which has translated to the direct and indirect creation of more than 13,500 jobs. In the last three years alone, since york-england.com expanded its remit from York to the whole of North Yorkshire, they have attracted 61 companies - nearly half the ten year total.
Denise Stuart, Chief Executive, york-england.com said: "The tide is turning towards the North as a business location. People are realising they don't have to be based in the South to be successful, but it is a very competitive marketplace with other Northern cities marketing themselves aggressively. We need to be here as the voice of York and North Yorkshire to outline the benefits to businesses in relocating here.
"This survey has provided us with invaluable information as to what each sector is actually looking for when they consider a business location. It also confirms that York and North Yorkshire is a great place to live, work and do business. We certainly have our work cut out for us but 2007 looks like it is going to be another exciting year for York and North Yorkshire. Developments in York, with Vangarde and the Terry's sites, Selby and Sherburn, Scarborough Business Park and Colburn Business Park, provide significant opportunities to attract lots of new dynamic companies moving to the area."
Paul Taylor, Project Director of Science City York, welcomed the outcome of the research. "The survey reinforces the message that York and North Yorkshire is the right place to establish and grow technology-based businesses. Working closely with the york-england.com team, we will ensure that the message will reach more decision makers in the rest of the UK, especially the south"
