New £2 billion property investment portfolio launched by government department

A new £2 billion property investment portfolio was this week launched by the Department for International Trade.

It’s hoped the £2 billion worth of investment opportunities will create thousands of new homes and jobs across the UK, with a range of projects set to benefit the creative, life sciences and retail sectors.

The portfolio comprises projects across the country, including a new 12,000-seater stadium in Gateshead, a world-leading stem cell research centre in Edinburgh and new office space for Belfast’s creative sector, as well as a number of opportunities at the Festival Park Development in Liverpool. The former International Festival Gardens site, located next to the River Mersey and three miles from the city centre, was purchased by Liverpool City Council and is part of a masterplan for regeneration. Once complete, the 90 acre site is set to see up to 2,500 new homes built at the city’s waterfront.

The government hopes the projects will create jobs, drive prosperity in local communities and have a positive effect on quality of life for people living in the areas impacted.  

“It has never been easier to find opportunities for global investment in the UK and these seven projects worth £2 billion give investors the opportunity to do just that,” International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox said.

“Not only will these projects promote our vibrant and successful real estate industry, they also create homes and jobs across the country. As an international economic department, our message is loud and clear: the UK is open for business, and we can help find the right investment for you.”

Minister for Investment, Graham Stuart, added: “It’s a privilege for me to launch these new schemes, which will provide new homes and jobs for people across the country.”

He claimed the UK was the number one destination in Europe for foreign investment, and promised the government will continue to ‘promote opportunities that help people find decent jobs and develop strong communities’.

The seven projects were unveiled by the Minister for Investment at the MIPIM UK property conference – held this week across two days at Olympia London – and include opportunities for UK and international investors in a range of sectors.

Some 3,000 property professionals and more than 300 potential investors and financial institutions from around the world attended the trade show, which has now been going strong for five years and is one of the largest shows of its kind in the UK.

The projects in the portfolio are as follows:

•         Liverpool: The construction of over 2,000 new homes at Festival Park and 1,000 new jobs in a new urban community at Paddington Village.

•         Gateshead: some 5,000 new jobs at Follingsby Max, a new logistics and distribution centre in Gateshead, and a new 12,500 seater stadium at Gateshead Quays.

•         Edinburgh: A new world-leading bio and life sciences development at Edinburgh BioQuarter, set to make the Scottish capital a leading hub for stem cell research.

•         Belfast: 21,000 sqm of new Grade A office space for the creative and technology sector at The Sixth, further increasing the city’s developing reputation as a production centre for film and television.

•         Sussex: A new science and technology park at Burgess Hill, offering more than 90,000 sqm of commercial space.

The portfolio has been assembled by the Department for International Trade’s Capital Investment team. This team leads the government’s drive to attract and support international investment into large scale property, regeneration, infrastructure and energy projects across the UK.