Local Focus: Leicestershire
Posted by Stuart Hackett on Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Maxim Recruitment’s main UK office is situated in the leafy suburbs of Leicestershire in the East Midlands. Whilst seeing first hand on a daily basis some of the great construction work that is going on locally throughout the county, it was enjoyable to meet with members from all sectors of the local construction industry at the Meet the Buyer Construction event in Leicestershire this month.
The event was attended by a number of regional main contractors and house builders as well as some of the larger national contractors that have regional offices in the East Midlands. There was an overwhelming sense of positivity in the room as Buyers showcased their current and future portfolios of work.
In attendance was Leicester Mayor, Sir Peter Soulsby who is responsible for putting into action Leicester’s Economic Action Plan back in 2012. Already well into this plan which set out targets for 2020, the city has seen significant investment in regenerating parts of the city centre as well as other key areas around the County.
These include signature projects such as the new Haymarket Bus Station (£13.5m), New Walk Centre (£25m) as well as numerous smaller multi million pound regeneration schemes throughout the city.
Construction was hailed as one of the local economy’s most important and buoyant sectors and a driving force in the creation on a thriving economy.
It is estimated that 9,000 new construction jobs will be created in Leicester between 2018 and 2022. I think it was joy to the ears of many in the room to hear Sir Peter reinforce the city’s commitments to the construction industry and doing everything to help it thrive.
For those wondering what the more exciting opportunities may be in the near future, here are a few of the larger developments currently at the forefront of many people’s minds:
Ashton Green (£480m)
With many councils up and down the country feeling the pressure to build new homes, Ashton Green will be Leicester’s flagship development tasked with creating 20,000 sustainable homes between 2019 and 2039.
This will be a phased development situated on 320 acres of land between Beaumont Leys and Thurcaston. Phase 2 of the project is set to begin in the Spring of 2019 and the wider development will include vital infrastructure projects as well as residential homes in a bid to create a modern, new town in sub-urban Leicestershire.
Waterside Development – (£80m)
Situated towards the North West of the city between the A6 and Rally Park, a new Waterside Development is set to get underway this year. Making full use of the attractive scenery and its location between the river Soar and the Union Canal, you will see an £80m regeneration scheme that will transform an area of Leicester currently underused.
The development is set to include over 300 news homes, office space, shops, communal green areas and canal-side walking paths in a bid to create a vibrant new neighbourhood which is expected to be completed by 2023.
As well as the above, there are many multi-million-pound regeneration projects in the pipeline throughout the county including a strong spend on education projects. These include Primary Schools, all the way up to major programmes of work valued in the hundreds of millions from the Leicester Universities.
It certainly looks to be a promising time in construction for Leicester and the Midlands region as a whole. Nearby Birmingham is tipped to be a particular construction hot spot in the next 10 years with it being the Midlands hub for HS2 as well as hosting the commonwealth games in 2022. Less than 30 minutes’ drive from Leicester is Coventry where increased construction activity is expected in anticipation of them being the 2021 City of Culture.
Maxim Recruitment Ltd are based in the East Midlands, keep a strong presence in the region at construction events and are experts in the local construction industry.
We’re always looking to improve our network of clients and candidates in the East Midlands region and whether you’re looking for work or looking to hire the best talent in the area, pick up the phone and talk to one of our highly experienced Consultants.
Stuart Hackett
Senior Recruitment Consulant