Bath’s new Riverside Enterprise Area will give it the chance to become the world’s best small city, with an internationally-renowned creative sector attracting talented people.
The ambition, unveiled to the city’s business leaders last week in a new ‘vision for Bath’, will build on its Roman and Georgian heritage to create a 21st century centre of excellence for innovation.
Plans for the 98-hectare site, which straddles the Avon through the city from the Cattle Market to Locksbrook and will create 9,000 jobs, have already been made public.
But Bath & North East Somerset Council’s wider vision to use the development to propel the city onto the global stage for the creative and digital industries was showcased at the event at Graze restaurant.
The vision, outlined in presentations from council leader Paul Crossley and chief executive Jo Farrar, was warmly welcomed by a panel of speakers assembled for the event and the gathered business figures.
For panel member Steven Fuller, founder and creative head at branding agency The House, turning the vision into reality could end an out-dated view of Bath. “We could get rid of the phrase “the graveyard of ambition” he said, “and replace with birthplace of ambition”.
“We can claim a place on the world map,” he said. “We can be a Berlin or Stockholm.”
For fellow panellist Paul Newman – editor in chief at media giant Future, which employs 360 people in the city – the scheme could allow Bath to attract world-class creative talent. Added to its global heritage status, this could make Bath the world’s best small city, he said.
Opening the event, Cllr Crossley described development of the Enterprise Area as a “once in a generation opportunity”. It would position Bath as a world-class economy giving local people access to the full range of skilled jobs.
It would create a city to live, work and play in, building on its status as centre for health and wellbeing, but it t would also alter image of Bath – while the city enjoys an international reputation as a tourist, retail and leisure honeypot, its digital and creative sector was bigger than the visitor economy, he said.
Ms Farrar said the city had a unique opportunity to create a 21st century business district in a world heritage city. While the Romans gave the city its world-famous baths and the Georgians its equally-renowned architecture, this new development could also stand the test of time.
“There is an opportunity to do something different,” she said. “It will be a fusion of different looks and spaces. It will be a place which will still be drawing people to the city inn 150 years’ time.”
Bath was not without its challenges, she added, with 50,000 vehicles a day making their way through a Georgian city. Planning any new development in the city was always going to be challenging because of its heritage – but this was an opportunity to put Bath on the world stage as well as create highly-skilled jobs. It would also allow Bath to open up the riverside rather than turn its back on the Avon as happened with previous developments.
Simon Wear, founder and chief executive of Bath digital marketing firm Shift Active Media, spoke about the success of his business – and the role the city had played in it.
Having grown up in Bristol he came to Bath 23 years ago to work for Future – then a small magazine publishing company. Since then Bath had become a “hotbed for talent in the creative industries” he said, with “digital DNA”.
Future had played a role in this by generating spin-out companies such as MediaClash and Lovehoney.
He set up Shift Active Media in 2010 – starting off on his kitchen table with the ambition to be the best marketing company in the world specialising in cycling.
Today it is an international business employing 46 people, turns over more than £5m and has a healthy profit. Last year Google invested £1.1m in business, which creates high-quality bespoke video content for cycling brands which are viewed on broadcast and online channels. In two years it has made 1,400 films and is now launching similar global networks for mountain biking and fitness.
“No longer do you need to be in London, New York or California,” he said.
“We don’t want to be in London. We employ sporty people. They don’t want to be stuck on the bus trying to get to work.
“We’re absolutely committed to be in Bath. We are inspired by it and when they come here our partners like Google and Facebook love it.”
The company is preparing to move into city centre offices – a Georgian building transformed into a modern, open-space workplace.
Other panel members also said the Enterprise Area vision would enable Bath to gain a global profile for its creative sector.
Cllr Ben Stevens, cabinet member for sustainable development, said Bath already had a bigger profile internationally than Bristol and could trade on this to attract world-class businesses.
Bristol Airport chief executive Robert Sinclair, who also sits on the board of the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) said he had lived in New York, Sydney, Auckland, Hong Kong and London but leapt at the chance to live in Bath when he got his current job.
“It’s a fantastic place to live and work,” he said. “When we speak to global airlines such as Etihad and Emirates we talk to them about Bath.”
John Hunt, University of Bath director of research & innovation, said the university had world-leading academics who could help put the city on the global map for business.
Other challenges raised at the meeting included the short-term need for accommodation for creative firms and a lack of high-speed broadband in some parts of the city – although the council said it is addressing this.
“We need to create ‘soft landing’ space and temporary accommodation,” said Steven Fuller.
“The Guild (the creative hub in The Guildhall) is a remarkable achievement but we need more. We also need to bring businesses closer together. Bath is a collection of tiny bubbles.”
Simon Wear added: “It’s an amazing place but its history is also its weakness. We need a city that is moving as fast as the rest of the world. If we get this right Bath can be as famous for its business as it is for its beauty.”
