Investment in Herts reaches five-year high

The statistics, released by the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (Herts LEP), also show a sharp increase in the number of new jobs created over the last 12 months.

In 2014/15 466 new jobs were created in Hertfordshire, up 60 per cent compared with 12 months earlier.

LEPs are voluntary partnerships between local authorities and businesses which promote economic growth and job creation in their local area.

Tim Burton, Herts LEP 
inward investment manager, said: “These figures are 
encouraging as inward 
investment is a competitive arena and we respect the natural draw of London to investors and the strength of propositions that areas across the UK can provide.

“Our message to companies considering relocating here is that Hertfordshire is a great place to live, work and do business.

“It is our vision to 
accelerate business-led 
economic growth and we will continue to work hard with our partners and key 
stakeholders, such as UKTI, to ensure we achieve this.

“It is also heartening to see Hertfordshire’s economic 
recovery, where we are seeing new jobs created, as opposed to previous years where our focus has been on safeguarding existing jobs.”

Herts LEP divides the county into three growth 
areas which are concentrated around the main road and rail routes.

Hemel, Watford and St 
Albans are grouped in one 
area, referred to as the ‘M1/M25 growth area’.

The study also looks at 
foreign direct invesment (FDI) projects, which can be 
overseas businesses establishing new operations in the UK, or foreign-owned businesses expanding.

The LEP claims there have been 62 successful FDIs over the past three years. More than half of them have been in the Hemel, Watford and St Albans area.