Your future in the scenic Cotswolds
Considered by many people to be one of the most beautiful areas in England, the Cotswolds, with its rolling downland, shady wooded valleys and unique stone-built architecture combines internationally-recognised beauty with many wonderful business relocation opportunities.
Covering approximately 450 square miles (1170 square kilometres), Gloucestershire’s Cotswold District, occupying the eastern third of the county, is one of the largest districts in England. Over 80% of its area also lies within the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – yet major business and cultural centres such as Oxford, Swindon, Bristol and Birmingham are still only an hour or so away by road.
It’s a stunning place to visit – even better as your base for work and home-life, particularly given its connections with major business centres such as Gloucester, Cheltenham, Bristol, the M4 corridor and the West Midlands conurbation.
A Stunning business environment
Conveniently located between the M4, M5 and M40 motorways, Cotswold District offers relocating or start-up businesses excellent infrastructure connections and a wonderful ‘live and work’ location amid a rural idyll that has beguiled visitors and residents alike for centuries.
Despite its predominantly rural character, Cotswold District towns such as Cirencester (‘the capital of the Cotswolds’) and Moreton-in-Marsh feature a wealth of modern business facilities. Just as Mitsubishi Motors, EHS Brann Cirencester, St James’s Place and other businesses have already discovered, the Cotswold District really can enable you to combine successful business with a quality of life that others merely dream of.
And in Cotswold District’s quaint villages and character-filled towns, you and your team will find some of the county’s best housing too – from comfortable family homes to the most distinctive executive accommodation.
A great place to live and work
As a place to live and work, the Cotswold District offers you and your staff a unique opportunity to combine outstanding quality of life with proximity to southern England’s major commercial and industrial areas.
Based in the heart of the Cotswolds, your biggest problem may well be deciding what to enjoy first when business is done for another week. Will it be speciality shopping in Stow or Tetbury or Cirencester? Or maybe you’ll choose a long walk in the Cotswold area of Outstanding Natural beauty with its rustic Cotswold stone buildings and historic Roman villas. And then there are the area’s many museums, galleries, historic gardens or wildlife parks. The choice is yours – the only certainty is that, being based in the heart of the Cotswolds, you’ll be in the best position to make the most of the region’s recreational opportunities.
And if, occasionally, you crave a visit to London, Birmingham’s NEC, the South West coast or a Grand Prix at Silverstone, you know your destination is only a short drive away. That’s the joy of the Cotswolds.
Location, accessibility, hotels and conferencing
Good A-roads, including the convenient A417/A419 to Swindon, link the Cotswold District to the M5 (west), M4 (south) and M40 (north east). There are also regular rail links to the Midlands and the Home Counties from Kemble (near Cirencester) and Moreton-in-Marsh in the north.
Similarly, for longer journeys within the UK, Europe or further afield, Bristol, Birmingham, Cardiff and Heathrow airports are easy drives from the heart of the Cotswold District. And, of course, Gloucestershire Airport is conveniently located between Cheltenham and Gloucester for fixed-wing and helicopter business aviation.
Naturally, as befits an area with such a strong tourist appeal, a variety of hotels and dedicated conference centres are available in and around the Cotswold District.
Economic profile
Population: 83,100 (2005) Source: ONS (Nomis) mid-2006 population estimates
Employment Rate: 40,000 Rate: 82% July 2006 - June 2007 (Source: Annual Population Survey ONS Crown Copyright Reserved)
Unemployment Rate: 0.7% February 2008 (Source: Claimant count: % of resident working age population ONS Crown Copyright Reserved)
Housing allocation 2006-2026: 6,000 (Source: Draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the South West)
Are you and your business ready to relocate to the Cotswold countryside? Contact Invest in Gloucestershire now…