Developments at Wellesbourne Airfield and the neighbouring University of Warwick campus have prompted the leader of Stratford District Council to admit he is 'hugely optimistic' for the region's future.

Cllr Tony Jefferson explained he had held talks with university bosses and those involved at car makers Lotus about their plans which could give a massive boost to the area's manufacturing industry.

At this week's full council meeting, Cllr Tony Bromwich (Ind, Southam North) asked if now was the time to look at diversifying the local economy, adding: "We have probably put all our eggs in the tourism basket over the years – maybe we need an economic diversity group."

Cllr Jefferson pointed out that manufacturing rather than tourism was the main industry in the district and that there was a lot of work going on behind the scenes.

He told the meeting: "The Wellesbourne campus is an innovation campus. It will be, I think, of international significance. It will diversify our economy very substantially, the jobs it will create will all be high-end jobs.

"Right next door is Wellesboure Airfield. We are working very hard to deliver schemes there that will enable the businesses that do innovation, research and development on the campus to set up manufacturing units on that site. Those two put together are a staggering opportunity for this district and the region – and even for the country. It is that kind of scale of ambition.

"We have also had discussions with Lotus. At Wellesbourne they are going up to 300 jobs – all high-end engineering jobs.

"The difficulty with an awful lot of this is that it takes a lot of behind the scenes activity and a long time – we have been working on Wellesbourne Airfield now for probably four years. We have invested the time and the effort and in the strategic vision to bring it about.

"I think in all fairness, partially because of the timing, that we haven't been able to keep councillors fully up to speed but you can appreciate that a lot of the discussions are commercially confidential. All I will say is that I am in full agreement with you Cllr Bromwich in that we do need to diversify the economy as much as we can and we are working on it.

"If I am really honest, I think we are laying the foundations to ensure the long-term prosperity of this district. The interesting thing is that when I talk to people in the West Midlands Combined Authority it is only just now that they are beginning to realise exactly what our district has to offer – and it is substantial.

"Given the work that we are putting in and the opportunities that are around, I am hugely optimistic for the future of the district."

(Image by Steve Daniels via geograph.org.uk)

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