Bristol this week officially pitched itself against 17 other UK towns and cities to be the location for the Government’s new Green Investment Bank.
As the deadline closed, business figures supporting the bid and many of the city’s MPs were in London to formally hand over Bristol’s submission to the Department for Business and Skills
Among them was Colin Skellett, chair of the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership. He said: “The bid document is an impressive account of the reasons that make Bristol and the South West great – why it is such a powerful centre for business, why people move to and live here and why it is seen, both nationally and internationally, as the Green Capital of the UK.
“Not only this, but we have demonstrated the fact that the businesses and organisations here in the city are already driving investment decisions and projects to create green infrastructure not just in the UK but around the world.
“This gives Bristol the right platform the Green Investment Bank will need to thrive and within which it can do what it is meant to – namely, focus investment in projects that move the UK further towards a low carbon economy.”
Bristol launched its bid campaign, called Bristol: The Natural Home for the Green Investment Bank (GIB), shortly before Christmas with a high-profile delegation to the Houses of Parliament and today Kerry McCarthy, Bristol East MP, backed the bid saying: “As a leading centre for research and green technology, Bristol would provide the perfect home for Britain's Green Investment Bank.
“While competition for the bid from other cities will be tough, Bristol is one step ahead. We are renowned for our rich heritage of technological innovation, from Brunel to the present day, and Bristol and the South West is already home to many of our country's leading green technology industries.
“Only last week it was announced that the South West is to have the UK's first Marine Energy Park.
“With the green agenda at its heart, Bristol is the natural home for the Green Investment Bank. In the coming weeks I will continue to work with the City Council and fellow Bristol MP's to ensure that the Green Investment Bank will come to Bristol.”
