The changing face of the borough of Rugby

The borough of Rugby sits at a strategic location on the country’s communication network with the M6, M1, M45, A14 and A5 all in and around the borough, the West Coast Mail Line running through the borough and three International airports are within half an hour.

This position is therefore reflected in the range of investment that is taking place that will transform the borough into a dynamic location for business with some £2bn being spent over the next few years.

After many years of discussion the Chapel Street site has delivered an 85,000 sq ft ASDA and another 40,000 sq ft of none ASDA retail, with several major retailers showing interest in the development. With the designs developed to compliment the iconic Rugby Art Gallery Museum.

Across town a four star hotel is to be built on what is at present a car park. This will be a 117-bed hotel with conference and banqueting facilities to address a much needed shortage in the town centre. Just down the road the Cattle Market site is now underway which is to be redeveloped as a mixed-use site with housing, employment, retail, a hotel and community facilities. This fronts onto the railway station where work has been completed to the network that brings London to within a 50 minutes journey. Also the rail station has undergone a £170m face-lift that dramatically improves the facilities available.

Just to the north of the rail station is a 100 acre site owned by St Modwen, which will be redeveloped in the near future for mixed use occupation. Employment is retained with the new renewable technologies market place, which is very much in growth mode, producing generators for the next generation of high-tech wind, wave and tide power production equipment. This will help the UK and most of the world achieve its targets for renewable energy generation plus there is other employment land where it is hoped the supply chain can be accommodated.

Additionally a new college is being developed which will address the borough’s future skills needs. It will also include a Power Academy and Centre of Excellence for the power industry to ensure we have the key skills required to allow the industry to grow.

Of the M6 at J1 is the Central Park site, which is home to several major names in the automotive, and specialist manufacturing sectors together with some big name logistics businesses. The recently completed iCentre on the site has attracted the major secure communications company for the UK.

Away from the town of J2 of the M6 is the Ansty site being developed by the Regional Development Agency, which has seen the research and development centre for future mobile phones recently take up residence and a planning application for a Manufacturing Technology Centre have been lodged. This will see active partnerships between Universities and major UK manufactures, working together to create tomorrow’s technology.

Then there is the Radio Mast Site – 1,000 acres just off J18 of the M1, which will help the borough reach many of its Regional Spatial Strategy targets for housing and employment. In joint ownership of BT and Aviva it will be directly connected to the existing town centre and help feed the growth of the retail offer.

So the face of Rugby is changing and with it comes the opportunities for investment, development and employment – it is just a good time to be part of an exciting and growing borough.

Visit: enjoyrugby.info/site/index.php or email: Michael.Lenihan@rugby.gov.uk