This site was produced by: LOCAL AUTHORITY PUBLISHING
Publishers for local authorities throughout Great Britain. View more Official Guides at www.officialguides.co.uk

Dunstable is situated some 25 miles to the north-west of London, with excellent access to the heart of the national motorway network. With the M1 running close by and the M25 being less than 20 miles away, over three quarters of the UK mainland population can be reached within a same day return journey.

Rail links from nearby Luton mean that London St. Pancras can be reached in half an hour, while the train from Leighton Buzzard can be in Euston in 40 minutes. Fast Intercity services also operate on both these lines, and rail freight services are also available from Luton.

The needs of the air traveller are similarly well catered for. As well as nearby London Luton Airport, which offers direct flights to an increasing number of European locations, other international airports, including London Heathrow, London Gatwick and London Stansted are readily accessible within 2 hours drive. For sea freight the ports of Tilbury, London, Felixstowe and Southampton can all be reached within 2? hours.

Unemployment rates in Dunstable remain consistently below the national average and the redevelopment of existing sites is creating further opportunities within the area. The former AWD site has been transformed into ProLogis Park, a development of two large distribution/warehousing units. Both units have been let, with the larger let to the A.S Watson Group (the group behind Superdrug and Savers). Together, the two units are expected to create approximately 750 jobs. The former BTR site on London Road is being redeveloped into The Gateway, a 60,600 sq ft high-specification office development. And the town centre has seen regeneration too, through the Grove Theatre and its accompanying housing and leisure/recreational facilities.

A number of household names and high-tech companies are already located in and around Dunstable, including W H Smith, Scapa (UK) Ltd, The Sellotape Company, and Electrolux. The area is also home to a growing food and drink cluster. Bernard Matthews, Honeytop Speciality Foods, Beefeater Restaurant and Pub, Drinks Direct, Interbrew UK, Fine Foods International and Sampan Foods can all be found on the area’s industrial estates.

Businesses across South Bedfordshire can benefit from the close linkages established with the University of Bedfordshire, Cranfield University, and Dunstable College. Not only do these establishments contribute to the creation of a skilled and flexible workforce, but local businesses can also take advantage of the businesses courses, research and development opportunities, and placement and apprenticeship schemes that are on offer.

In 2007, the UK Government designated four wards in Dunstable and Houghton Regis as Assisted Areas (Icknield in Dunstable, and Houghton Hall, Parkside and Tithe Farm in Houghton Regis). Within an Assisted Area, businesses may be eligible for grants for new business start-ups, new investments, expansions, or modernisation. During the last round of Assisted Area designation (2000-06), companies in South Bedfordshire benefited significantly. More than £10 million in grant aid was offered to companies in the Dunstable and Houghton Regis area, resulting in capital investment in excess of £100m, the creation of over 1,300 new jobs, and the safeguarding of over 500 jobs.

South Bedfordshire District Council is keen to see local companies and potential inward investors continue to benefit from the grants available.

The District Council, together with its economic partners are working to create a secure and buoyant future for the businesses and the workforce of Dunstable. The Council’s Economic Regeneration Service can provide full details of all industrial and commercial concerns in the town; offer guidance on grant eligibility; and signpost businesses to a wide range of business support and advice. For more information, contact the Economic Regeneration Service at South Bedfordshire District Council on 01582 474067, e-mail Econ.Dev@southbeds.gov.uk, or write to: The District Offices, High Street North, Dunstable, LU6 1LF.