Enterprise Zone - Discovery Park
Introduction
The Government has designated Discovery Park at Sandwich, Kent an Enterprise Zone. Find out below what this means and how the incentives - business rate discounts, planning simplification and superfast broadband - will be on offer to businesses located or locating there.
The Enterprise Zone area
Discovery Park Enterprise Zone covers 99.4 hectares on the Pfizer site at Sandwich. The map below sets out the boundaries:
The package of incentives on offer for businesses locating at the Enterprise Zone are:
Business rate discounts
The main incentive for businesses will be business rate discounts. The available discount is a maximum of £55,000 per year, for up to five years (i.e. a maximum discount of £275,000 over a five year period). There is no limit on the percentage discount, so a business paying rates of less than £55,000 per year could receive a discount of 100%, subject to European state aid rules which will not apply to most businesses.
The discount will be available to businesses located on the site during any year of the period from 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2015. This means that the last date at which a business would be eligible for a discount will be 31 March 2015, and the discount period would run out in 2020.
Businesses already on Discovery Park when the discount period comes into force in April 2012 will be able to access the discount.
There are no restrictions on the size or type of business that can benefit from the business rate discount, other than those set out in European state aid regulations.
Planning simplification
The Enterprise Zone will have a simplified planning regime. To achieve this, Dover District Council plans to develop a Local Development Order (LDO) , which would enable the conversion of existing buildings, the development of new buildings and changes of use, without the need for individual planning permissions, provided that it is within the scope of the Order.
Superfast broadband
Timetable and governance
It is envisaged that an Enterprise Zone Board will be put in place to co-ordinate relevant aspects of the development of the Zone including strategy, marketing, monitoring job creation and business development.
Making contact
Businesses interested in finding out more about Discovery Park Enterprise Zone should contact Locate in Kent on 01732 520700, or email enquiries@locateinkent.com.
Last updated: 24 August 2011
