Agenda item

          The Board received a report and accompanying presentation which provided an overview on the Sci-Tech Daresbury Joint Venture and the positive impact it had. Sci-Tech Daresbury Joint Venture was established in 2010 as a partnership with the Science & Technology Facilities Council (Daresbury Labs) and Langtree Property Partners. The campus has been a legally designated Enterprise Zone since 2012 and in 2024 it became part of the Liverpool City Region Health & Life Sciences Investment Zone. It’s the only national UKRI (UK Research and Innovation) Lab in north England and 160 companies were on site, some were large while others had their Head Quarters on site.

          The presentation outlined the Sci-Tech Daresbury campus and the big companies it had on site, including the fastest supercomputer in the UK and one of Europe’s largest liquid helium cryogenic cooling facilities. These had led to other companies moving to the site where there was a 95% survival rate. There were mainly small businesses onsite, but the average sales growth was 29%. £45 million was invested into the campus and £20 million of this was from public sector grants. £6.5 million of this came from the Council using the Enterprise Zone Borrowing mechanism which meant that the joint venture paid back the Council borrowing the money.

          The Council was a shareholder in the campus owning 25% and investing £500,000 in initially but this was worth £4 million now in assets. £883,000 can be reinvested into the enterprise zone until 2037. The Council retains the business rates from the centre and all but one business who left the campus stayed in Halton.

          15% of employees on site were from Halton and this roughly increased to up to 40% for the businesses who moved into another premises in Halton. Over 70% of jobs at Sci-Tech Daresbury are degree level and above and over 189 apprenticeships were created in the last four years. Officers were awaiting information to see how many of these apprentices were from Halton. Two businesses had put roughly £3 million into the local economy. Businesses from the site had worked with local schools and colleges to engage with students on things like coding and video game design. 

          It was confirmed that placements at the Campus had increased for students from schools in Halton but it was unknown if employment levels were low because they were not being offered or applied to by local students.

          Officers agreed to ask the companies of site to see if they were receiving applications from students from Halton. However, it was possible that applications came from local people who went to a university out of the Borough.

          Warrington had recently stopped their bus service to the Campus, but Halton were retendering their service. It was noted that a lot of people got there on bikes and the Council had an electric bike leasing scheme.

          Regarding the charity partnership, the Board requested that the next charity partnership be established with a charity based in Halton.

          As the mangers of the site, it was confirmed that Langtree received 9% of the profits on site which was typical. This came out of the joint venture costs. 

          RESOLVED: That the presentation be noted.