Business

In the 2017 Spring Budget, the Chancellor announced that a new scheme of relief would be made available to those ratepayers facing large increases as a result of the loss of rural rate and small business rate relief due to the revaluation.
To support these ratepayers, the ‘Supporting Small Businesses’ relief will ensure that the increase per year is limited to the greater of:

1. a percentage increase of 5%, 7.5%, 10%, 15% and 15% in 2017/18 to 2021/22 all plus inflation.  Unlike the transitional relief scheme, for the first year of the scheme the percentage increase is taken against the bill for 31 March 2017 after small business rate relief or rural rate relief; and
2. a cash value of £600 per year (£50 per month).  This cash minimum increase ensures that those ratepayers paying nothing or very small amounts in 2016/17 after small business rate relief are brought into paying something
3. This has recently been extended for an additional financial year into 2022/23

Ratepayers remain in the Supporting Small Businesses relief scheme for either 5 years or until they reach the bill they would have paid without the scheme. 

This relief has been automatically applied to eligible accounts and therefore there is no formal application process, however, for any further information regarding this relief, please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Help is available for new businesses to start up and grow in Worcester City through a programme of grants and free business advice.  The support package will encourage the occupation of vacant commercial premises, help regenerate neighbourhoods, stimulate entrepreneurship, create new jobs and enhance the sustainability of new businesses. 

Worcester City Council works with Worcestershire Growth Hub to bring all aspects of business support into one place.  Free guidance and support are available as well as lots of useful information for setting up and running a business

Worcestershire Growth Hub

Worcester City Council business start-up grant

Businesses at the start-up stage or which have been trading for less than 12 months can apply for a grant of up to £1500 towards ‘one-off’ costs such as building works, fixtures and fittings, equipment, a new website or software to help set up. The grant must be match-funded pound-for-pound from the business’s own resources.

The new business must be based in Worcester.

Businesses applying for the Worcester City Council start-up grant will be expected to have received business start-up advice (ideally through the Enterprising Worcestershire programme) and must provide a business plan.

This project is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The Business Start-up Grant is part of Worcester City Council’s allocation of £2.96m.

Funding for this scheme is now fully allocated. However, to make an expression of interest, should further funding become available, please contact the Worcester City Council Economic Development team either by email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 01905 722106.

Worcestershire Libraries

Business advice is available through the Business and Intellectual Property Centres at the Hive and other key libraries across the county.

Individuals and businesses in Worcestershire can access resources and databases to support them with marketing and business planning and incorporating support from the Business and Intellectual Property Centre (BIPC) can access specialist IP one to one advice.  This includes access to co-working spaces, events and workshops.

 Business and Intellectual Property Centre

The Guildhall in Worcester is available for hire and open to the public six days a week, Monday to Saturday, to provide visitors and residents a glimpse of Worcester’s rich and varied heritage.

Looking for a fantastic city venue?

Whether you’re planning an intimate wedding ceremony, a conference, or a team away day, The Guildhall is a truly beautiful building and offers the perfect central location for all occasions. Find information and discover our upcoming events and opening times on our dedicated website.

• Visit the Guildhall Worcester website

 

Introduction

The historic, cathedral city of Worcester has been a location for trade and commerce since Roman times. Today the city has a population of around 93,300 and is an excellent place to do business. More than 3.4 million trips to Worcester are made by tourists each year.

As the county town, Worcester is the main centre within Worcestershire for administrative services and jobs, shopping and tourism and the city council is committed to working with business and stakeholders to ensure its long-term continuing success .

Worcester is an excellent location at the heart of a beautiful county, with good connections by road and rail to Birmingham, the South West and London, it is an excellent location to live, work and visit.

Tourism in Worcester

For tourist information, please view the city of Worcester tourism website or visit the Tourist Information Centre at The Guildhall on Worcester High Street.

Worcester City Council adopted a tourism strategy in 2017. This strategy sets out to achieve the Council’s goals in relation to the economic growth and prosperity brought about by tourism development in the City of Worcester.  The strategy takes into account national trends, data, visitor surveys and stakeholder feedback.  It sets out aims and objectives to help cultivate a quality visitor experience; to raise the profile of Worcester as a visitor destination and to increase community engagement in the City’s arts; heritage and leisure activities, thus contributing to stronger and more connected communities. 

• pdf View the Worcester City Tourism Strategy (1.52 MB)

Business Profile

The city has a diverse and dynamic economy with a growing knowledge economy  reflecting Worcester's position as the county town.  There are about 3190 (ONS 2008) active businesses in the city with roughly 80% being small enterprises employing between 1 and 10 people.

Business by Industry

Sector	%
Energy and Water	0.3
Manufacturing	6.3
Construction	7.4
Distribution Hotels and Restaurants	31.8
Transport and Communications	4.0
Banking Finance & Insurance etc.	31.9
Public Administration, Education & Health	9.8
Other services	8.2

source ABI 2008

 

City Centre Masterplan

The Stage One Vision & Masterplan  for the City Centre was published in 2011.  It has a vision for "a bold Worcester, where sustained investment in economic development, aligned with successful advances in sustainable travel, lead to a vibrant and diverse city centre"

We reviewed progress against the Masterplan in 2013, and the outcome of that progress along with the future ambitions can be found on our City Centre Vision and Masterplan page

Jobs

The local economy is dynamic, with great flexibility in working and living arrangements.  68% of the workforce live and work in Worcester and the city has the highest level of in-commuting in the county. This is not surprising given that Worcester is the service and employment centre of the county.

Sector	%
Energy and Water	0.7
Manufacturing	11.4
Construction	2.9
Distribution Hotels and Restaurants	21.9
Transport and Communications	4.7
Banking and Finance & insurance etc.	20.5
Public Administration, Education & Health	31.8
Other Services	6.0

 Source: ABI 2008

Current employment land supply

Employment land is spread geographically across the city with earlier established sites being closer to the city centre. Totalling approximately 250 ha at over 30 different locations, the employment sites vary in size with the largest being Shire Business Park on Warndon.  Businesses on Warndon represent a robust mix of employment uses with manufacturing being strongly represented. Examples of industries based here are Worcester Bosch, Yamazuki Mazak, Npower, CryoService and Royal Mail.

Worcester has both green and brown field sites that are vacant and allocated for employment.  Briefly these are:

• Grove Farm, Bromyard Road – an 11ha greenfield site owned by the University of Worcester. Plans are being formed to develop Phase I (approximately half the site) for a science/business park with the remainder of the site being utilised for the university's own use.
• Worcester Woods, Newtown Road – an 11ha greenfield site owned by Spetchley Estates. The site has outline planning permission for office and high tech uses although there are no firm plans for the site at present.
• High Point Business Park, Newtown Road – a 7.6ha brownfield site owned by Robert Hitchins. The site has outline planning permission for office and light industrial use and is currently being marketed.
• Apex 6 Phase II, Warndon – 2.7ha brownfield site in the ownership of A&J Mucklow. The site has outline planning permission for office/employment use and is currently being marketed.
• Great Western Business Park, Tolladine Road – Phase I of the brownfield development has been completed with 13 of the 18 new units occupied.

Worcester Bosch has recently been granted planning permission to expand onto a 30ha greenfield site adjacent to junction 6 of the M5 as Phase I of a new Worcester Technology Park. The expansion of WB will safeguard approximately 1250 jobs as well as create further employment opportunities. These jobs will be additional to any jobs that could be created on Phase II of the Worcester Technology Park.

Super-fast Broadband

First class and speedy digital infrastructure is essential in attracting and keeping cutting edge technological businesses. This is also essential to attract and service the creative industries. Super-fast fibre broadband covers most of Worcester. Further information can be found at www.superfastworcestershire.com