£15m office development set to create 500 jobs (From Oxford Mail)

£15m office development set to create 500 jobs

9:30am Wednesday 20th March 2013 in News

A NEW £15m office development is under way at Milton Park near Didcot as part of the Science Vale UK Enterprise Zone.

According to MEPC, which runs Milton Park off the A34 Milton Interchange, The 101 and 102 Park Drive development will be Oxfordshire’s only new Grade A office accommodation and will be able to accommodate a total of 500 staff.

The enterprise zone featuring Milton Park and Harwell Oxford was created in 2011 with new firms given business rate discounts.

The enterprise zone status is expected to create 8,400 jobs by 2016.

Andrew Barlow, commercial director at MEPC, said: “Whether taken by one company or occupied floor by floor, the customers for these buildings will become part of a highly- successful business estate, which has grown to include 220 companies employing 6,500 staff.

“We are confident that with the buoyant Oxfordshire economy and our own track record at Milton Park, our substantial investment in these buildings will be rewarded with the creation of up to 500 new jobs at Milton Park.”

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: “Economic growth is this Government’s top priority and Enterprise Zones are the engine room of that strategy.

“MEPC is showing that is true in the Science Vale UK Enterprise Zone by starting construction of its largest office development at Milton Park for over 10 years, so it is a really important step”