East Riding of Yorkshire Council has celebrated a milestone in the construction of the multi-million pound RaisE Business Centre in Goole with a ‘steel signing’ launch event.
Representatives from the council, Siemens Mobility, University of Birmingham and Willmott Dixon attended the site to see first-hand the progress of the centre and observe the final plans. Several speeches were also made by key stakeholders reflecting on the project before leader of the council, Councillor Jonathan Owen, chief executive Caroline Lacey and Siemens Mobility’s Sambit Banerjee added their signatures to one of the steel beams.
Councillor Jonathan Owen, leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “This is fantastic news for Goole and the East Riding. It was a pleasure to join our partners on a glorious day in Goole to celebrate the launch of the RaisE business centre and hear even more about the overall project. “It is fantastic to see so many different sectors and teams working as one to bring this rail village development to life and I’m really looking forward to seeing the business centre in use once completed.” The business centre, which will provide 3,200 square metres of commercial office and workshop accommodation to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is now well underway on the Goole 36 Enterprise Zone with completion scheduled for early 2022. The three-storey building, will include conference rooms, smaller ground floor meeting rooms, communal break-out areas, free on-site car parking for occupants and visitors and a communal café hub that will act as a focal point for the business park.
The full second floor will be the office base for Siemens Mobility, who will look to accommodate around 100 employees on site at RaisE, in addition to the 700 new jobs to be created on the main Goole manufacturing site. It is also estimated that the business centre, via its occupiers, will create around 98 new job opportunities once its doors open, whilst 45 construction jobs are currently being generated as a result of the build. This £8.1million project has secured £1.5million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and £1 million from the Getting Building Fund, via the Hull and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership (HEY LEP), to help finance the project.
Phase two of the project will be a £50million centre of excellence for rail and research and innovation developed between Siemens Mobility and the University of Birmingham. Both phases, in conjunction with the £200million Siemens Mobility manufacturing facility which is currently under construction, hope to create a positive partnership between industry, academia and the public sector and aims to create a ‘Rail Village’ concept that will attract further investment from the wider supply chain. Sambit Banerjee, managing director, rolling stock and customer services, for Siemens Mobility, told attendees at the launch event: “We are delighted to join our partners and colleagues from East Riding of Yorkshire Council and the University of Birmingham to celebrate the construction and progress of RaisE - part of the innovation hub that will form a key element of the dedicated rail village creating jobs and investment here in Goole. “Creating jobs is one thing, sustaining them and their potential for the future is another. That’s why the support of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, creating a facility that will offer flexible office and workspace for SMEs, is critical and most valued. “It’s a real and tangible example of how industry, academia and the public sector can work together with the supply chain to really build on plans for Goole’s development as a great place for the future.” Local East Riding Councillors Anne Handley and Nick Coultish attended the event.
Speaking to the Goole Times, Anne Handley said: “Councillor Coultish and I were delighted to attend the launch of the RaisE Business Centre. We heard inspirational speeches from Siemens, Birmingham University and Willmott Dixon on how they want to work with and help develop skills and jobs for local people. “Another excellent opportunity for our town.”
Leader of the East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Councillor Jonathan Owen signs the steel at the RaisE business centre alongside chief executive Caroline Lacey and managing director, rolling stock and customer services, for Siemens Mobility, Sambit Banerjee. (15-07-114 SU)
