The Business Exchange Swindon & Wiltshire Edition 47: Feb/March 2020 | Page 4

BUSINESS NEWS
Businesses to have their say
on shaping city’s future
Local businesses are being asked for views on
two important projects in Salisbury.
ELECTRIC MINI HOPES
FOR SWINDON
It Is hoped that the new MINI electric will be partly
built in Swindon, a welcome boost to the town.
With consumers looking for cleaner and
greener transport alternatives, demand for
the electric version of the UK’s most iconic
car is expected to be high.
The team at Dick Lovett in Swindon gave
The Business Exchange an exclusive look
at the new technology and explained why
they think it will make a big difference to the
future of the car market.
Denise McGarrie, Dick Lovett’s Corporate
Sales Manager, said, “This is great news for
UK car manufacturing. We’re really excited
to be bringing the first MINI Electric to
the market. We think it’s a great option for
businesses wanting to green their fleets and
for employees who want a high performing,
zero-emission vehicle with a host of great tax
incentives.”
Car manufacturing is an important part
of Swindon’s heritage. The Pressed Steel Co.
began producing sheet metal pressings in
Swindon in 1954 and was later taken over by
Rover and subsequently BMW.
BMW’s current construction project
in Swindon, expected to be complete by
the summer of 2021, will see the creation
of a large new building, machinery and
equipment.
Jenny Groves, Chair of Switch on to
Swindon which highlights the strength of
the town as a great place in which to live,
work, invest in and visit, said, “Its great news
for Swindon that Dick Lovett, one of the
founding Switch on to Swindon Ambassador
companies, is involved in launching this
game-changing addition to the electric car
market. Innovation in car manufacturing is
at the heart of BMW MINI, which is investing
millions in its Swindon plant. It’s even better
news that the MINI Electric may be partly
built in Swindon.”
After the first MINI rolled off the
production line in 1959, MINI has become an
iconic brand, known globally for affordable,
stylish motoring that has spanned six
decades.
The first is the final phase of public
consultation on the Salisbury Central Area
Framework (CAF), which will help shape the
future of the city centre.
The CAF recommendations guide future
developments and initiatives in the city
centre to make it a more vibrant, attractive
and sustainable place. Once approved,
the final CAF will be adopted by Wiltshire
Council later this year.
The second project is a joint initiative
with the Environment Agency to improve
the watercourses in central Salisbury. The
aim is to reduce flood risk to residents and
businesses, build climate change resilience,
enhance existing and create new spaces for
biodiversity and improve public enjoyment
of the river.
Businesses and residents will be able
to comment on the plans, which will
be submitted as part of a joint planning
application later in the year.
Cllr Philip Whitehead, Leader of Wiltshire
Council, said, “Together with our partner
organisations, we have spent a lot of time
over the last year looking at initiatives that
will have a positive impact on Salisbury.
By bringing forward these improvements,
Wiltshire Council and its partners aim to
ensure the city recovers from the impacts
of the nerve agent incidents of 2018 and
adapts to the economic opportunities and
challenges which face the city. We have
initiated work on a number of projects to
deliver the objectives of the CAF and want to
involve local people so they can help shape
the proposals moving forward.”
Cllr Jeremy Nettle, Leader of Salisbury
City Council, said,“I welcome this public
consultation which is the final phase of over
a year’s dialogue with Wiltshire Council
and our partners within the city. This is
very much about ‘Salisbury on the move’
and maintaining its values of tradition and
heritage, whilst working towards improving
the economic performance of the city and
responding to and mitigating against the
impacts of climate change.”
These consultations are now open and
will close at 5pm on Friday 28th February
2020. Surveys can be completed online at
www.wiltshire.gov.uk/salisbury-future.
Exhibition boards, the CAF document,
the CAF Executive Summary and the survey
form will also be available during normal
opening hours at libraries in Salisbury,
Wilton, Downton, Amesbury and Durrington
and Five Rivers Leisure Centre. Copies will
also be available at the Wiltshire Council
offices in Salisbury (Bourne Hill) and
Trowbridge (County Hall).
Cllr Jeremy Nettle added, “I would
encourage everyone to have their say
through the public consultations and at the
exhibitions to make Salisbury an even better
place to live, work and socialise in.”
For more info:
www..wiltshire.gov.uk/salisbury-future
Media experts help form Communications Strategy
Local media representatives, journalists
and online bloggers helped shape the aims
and objectives of a special network which is
striving to put Swindon on the map.
The Switch On To Swindon (SOTS)
Business Ambassador network, now in its
third year, is currently refreshing its strategy
and used the expertise of the town’s local
media and PR professionals to develop
its forthcoming communications plan at
a recent workshop in Swindon’s Carriage
Works.
The SOTS network, which has grown
to over 850 ambassadors, was created to
harness the positive attitude of the local
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www.tbeswindonandwilts.co.uk
community and the Switch On To Swindon
brand is now synonymous with local civic
pride. Swindon has a strong and varied
business cluster and the ambassadors work
together to talk up the town.
The refreshed Switch On To Swindon
vision is: Business Ambassadors working
together to promote Swindon as a thriving
community in which to live, work and invest.
The core values behind messaging and
activity are: Ambition; Community; Honesty;
Innovation; Positivity.
Three key aims were also agreed by the
Switch On To Swindon Board including:
LIVE: To promote the positive perception
of Swindon as an ambitious growing town
of the future to internal and external
audiences.
WORK: To inspire and support the
development of talented people to enable
growth and innovation.
INVEST: To work with partners to attract
inward investment to grow the economy.
Over the coming months, a number
of themes will support these three aims
featuring business and ambassador case
studies; press releases and editorials; social
media and online content.
For more info:
www.switchontoswindon.com