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The sub-region in which the City & County of Bristol lies also includes South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, and Bath & North East Somerset. Formerly known as the County of Avon, these four Unitary Authority areas were formed in 1996 as a result of local government reorganisation. The sub-region is bordered by Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east and Somerset to the south and is part of the South-West region of England.Bristol is the regional capital for the West but offers easy access to other parts of the UK. Its situation next to two major road corridors, and two River Severn crossings offers a base to serve the South-East, Midlands and South of England as well as South Wales. Bristol is only 120 miles from London and 90 miles from Birmingham.
Area Approx Sub region 1332 sq km Bristol City 110 sq km Bristol City North to South 15 km Bristol City East to West 18 km
Population
Bristol has the largest population of all the unitary authorities in the former county of Avon and a small increase in the local population is forecast until the year 2006.
Population % Number City of Bristol 39% 380,800 South Gloucestershire 25% 246,000 North Somerset 19% 188,800 Bath & NE. Somerset 17% 169,200 Total sub-region 100% 984,700
Source: ONS 2001 Mid-year estimates
Communications
Bristol International is the fastest growing major regional airport in the UK, providing flights to all major UK destinations, Europe and the USA, including New York, Washington and Boston. A new £42 million terminal building opened in 2000, providing greater capacity and increasing the number of destinations provided to business customers.
Bristol's national rail network provides direct links to all major UK cities, with half hourly services to London and Birmingham.
The Bristol Port Company in Avonmouth houses the UK's largest car port handling facility and provides extensive export and import facilities.
Industrial Profile
Key business sectors in the sub-region include aerospace and defence, printing and packaging, financial services, electronics and electrical engineering, and media. There are over 1,900 manufacturing companies in the sub-region, employing over 50,000 people. A list of major employers is available from the business support team.
Hi-tech industry supported by university research facilities continues to grow. Many hi-tech businesses have invested in the region in recent years, including Orange, Hewlett Packard and Toshiba. Bristol is also home to many media businesses with particular expertise in wildlife film-making and animation.
Sector Employees % Manufacturing Industries 55,100 11% Utilities / Agriculture 1,500 0.7% Construction 11,100 4.8% Distribution / Hotels & Restaurants 47,800 20.6% Transport & Communications 12,000 5.2% Finance, Insurance and Business Services 65,600 28.3% Public Administration, Education and Health 56,900 24.6% Other Services 11,400 4.9% Total 231,800 100%
Source: ONS Annual Business Inquiry 2001
Employment Profile
In recent years there has been relatively high growth in the Professional Occupational group as a proportion of all occupations.
Occupational Group % Managers & Senior Administration 11.1% Professional Occupations 15.9% Associate Professional & Technical 13.6% Administrative Professional & Technical 16.3% Skilled trade occupations 10.9% Personal Services 4.9% Sales and customer services 8.1% Process, Plant and Machine Operatives 5.3% Other occupations 13.9%
Source: Office for National Statistics - Labour Force Survey, Nov 2002
Bristol Workforce
Bristol benefits from having a highly skilled and flexible workforce. Many employers have relocated to the area because of the high level of skilled local labour. Salaries and wages in Bristol compare favourably with elsewhere in the UK and employers find that it is easy to attract potential employees to relocate.
Recruitment and Training Businesses moving to Bristol, or expanding locally, can benefit from recruitment and training support through the partners of Bristol City Council.
Local Labour Supply
Bristol and Area - Age 1998 2006* 16-19 yrs 43,800 52,700 20-24 55,900 59,600 25-34 163,100 123,700 35-44 143,800 177,000 45-59 179,700 198,600 60-64 45,000 53,900
Source: ONS Labour Force Survey Nov 2002
Economic Activity Rates: Bristol All Persons of working age 84.1% Males of working age 86.9% Females of working age 81.1%
Sources: HM Land Registry Crown Copyright
Universities Education and Research
The region offers excellent educational and research facilities. Bristol is home to two major universities. The University of Bristol renowned for its research facilities, and among the top five universities in the country targeted by employers. The University of the West of England has been chosen as research partners by major companies including; Hewlett Packard, Motorola and British Aerospace. Bath, 10 miles away, is home to a further two universities. Both universities have established enterprise centres to develop links with the business community and that include business incubators for start-up companies, particularly in hi-tech fields.
Bristol also has several well-respected colleges of further education, offering full and part time traditional courses and National Vocational Qualifications in most occupational areas.
KEY ECONOMIC SECTORS
Aerospace The aerospace industry in the South West directly employs over 40,000 people - and the Bristol area is at the heart of this.
As well as the major names like Airbus and Rolls Royce, there are hundreds of smaller enterprises that have a vital role to play.
An estimated 76% of southwest suppliers to the aerospace industry are small or medium sized enterprises. The West of England Aerospace Forum, which acts as a voice for the industry in this region, has seen its membership double in the last year.
Skill shortage There is an emerging skills shortage, but both Bristol University and the University of the West of England both have Aeronautical Engineering Degrees.
Two of the major colleges in the area - City of Bristol College and Filton College, on the doorstep of the largest aerospace companies in the area, have developed a course in aerospace engineering to help with the skills shortage in this area and lead students towards local employers such as BAE Systems, Airbus and Rolls Royce. Environmental Technologies - from wind power to waste disposal 40,000 people work in this sector in approximately 1,000 firms across the South West.
Bristol acts as a hub for this sector with national and international organisations such as the Soil Association, Sustrans and Garrad Hassan having their headquarters here.
Environmental industries account for an increasing slice of Bristol's economy and add to the green image of the South West region.
The Create Centre This re-use of a former warehouse provides a key facility for the promotion and practical application of sustainable development. It is shared by organisations engaged in the business of making Bristol a more sustainable city. This includes
- CSE (Centre for Sustainable Energy) - Future West - Recycling Consortium - Schumacher Society - VOSCUR - Training Learning Consultancy - BTCV - Accredited Training Centre and Lifeskills - Sustainable City - Environmental Quality and Energy Management Teams of the City Council who own and run the building.
Bristol's Environmental Technologies sector consists of a mesh of organisations, industries, small businesses and environmental groups and has a very strong service and educational base.
These businesses tend to be fast growing and have links with other significant industrial sectors such as creative industries and tourism and Bristol's international reputation for wildlife film production.
Media
Bristol has a vibrant media sector with
- established multi-award winning production companies - world leading new technologies research and major new media creative talent. - Bristol claims to be the largest media city in the UK after London
Media Training Bristol is the base for a number of agencies which offer a wide range of training in new media:
- South West Screen, the regional film agency - Picture This and Black Pyramid promote media activity within local communities - The DigiT West members MediaWorks - City of Bristol College - Netgates and - Watershed
There are undergraduate and graduate study in media disciplines at:
- City of Bristol College, - Bristol University and - UWE Plus wider training and activity generated through performing and visual arts, and related disciplines these provide a well trained workforce with the range of creative and technical skills.
Natural history and animation
These are well-recognised areas of excellence and there is also a busy documentary and factual sector making programmes for the international market. The high level of production activity is supported by high quality post-production facilities which include some of the first Hi-Definition Suites in Europe.
New media design and games development
There is a growing community of talented individuals and companies providing video and new media design services, games development and interactive solutions for the Internet, including the creator of Lara Croft and of course Aardmann Animations (creators of Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run). Bristol Film Office
Bristol City Council has set up the Bristol Film Office to promote Bristol as a 'film-friendly' city.
The key objectives of the office are to
- promote the city as a location, through international marketing initiatives - promote Bristol businesses, facilities and production crew to the industry - set up and ensure a coherent support service from Bristol City Council - assist location filming
The office is based in the city centre and will work closely with all organisations and regional support agencies, to ensure the continuing development opportunities for the sector.
Social Economy
The social economy sector is thriving and innovative - it is made up of
- community businesses - co-operatives - local self-help or interest groups.
Activities and services can range from housing and property management, cultural activities, sport, manufacturing, care services and arts - in fact almost any type of income generation.
The Success of the Social Economy in Bristol - £223 million annual turnover - 4.3% of Bristol's GDP - Over 1000 organisations - Over 9000 employees - 21,600 volunteers - Employee ownership and local democracy - Training and employment for local people - Enterprise and self-help in community regeneration - Innovation and diversity in goods and services - Creating new wealth within the community
High Tech / ICT
From computer game design to nanotechnology research and robotics, Bristol has a wealth of local expertise in the high-tech industry. Cabling along the M4 corridor from London provides fast Internet services that act as the backbone for Bristol's e-commerce community.
The Bristol area benefits from a cluster of information communications technology (ICT) and electronics firms.
Major companies with a presence in the sub-region include
- Toshiba Telecommunications Research Laboratory - Orange - Hewlett Packard
Bristol has become the south west centre for the Digital Media industry, with local business growth rates among the highest in the UK.
Financial services
Bristol has the largest employment base in banking, finance and insurance services outside London.
The city's sector is particularly strong in
- insurance - monetary intermediation - financial law.
Major players based in Bristol include
- Lloyds TSB - Bristol and West - NatWest - Axa Sun Life - Halifax/Clerical Medical
Among new and developing areas are financial software and socially responsible investment.
Printing and packaging
The Printing, Packaging and Graphic Communications sector is the United Kingdom's sixth largest industry, with a turnover of £13 billion.
Over the past 20 years, it has been transformed from a traditional craft-based industry to a leader in ICT and digital technology.
Since the first printing installation in Bristol in 1546, this industry has been a major economic driver of the wider Bristol economy. It represents the largest concentration of printing and packaging in the south west of England and includes leading companies from key market Tourism
Bristol is rapidly establishing itself as one of the UK's top city destinations.
A rejuvenated Harbourside and new attractions, including At-Bristol, have put the heart back into the city, providing a real focus for both visitors and residents. The hospitality sector has kept pace with the city's transformation, with continued growth in accommodation at lodge, four star and town house hotels. The choice of where to eat and drink has never been better as many excellent restaurants, pubs and bars continue to flourish.
Recent considerable capital investment, together with the continued popularity of established attractions, has led to a year on year increase in visitor numbers.
Bristol is consistently one of the top 10 UK destinations for overseas visitors.
A survey in 2000 showed that some 9.1 million visitors came to the city, spending a massive £445 million, and the Tourist Information Centre dealt with nearly 200,000 enquiries. TRANSPORT LINKS
Bristol has excellent road, rail and air links, making the city easily accessible from all over the UK and Europe.
By Air
Bristol International Airport
- is only 8 miles south of the city centre on the A38 - has scheduled flights to many UK and European cities - has charter flights to a wide variety of holiday destinations - has regular buses to and from the city centre - is one of the country's best resourced airports - can cater for 3.5 million passengers per year - is experiencing rapid growth - in both destinations and passenger numbers.
There are direct flights from Bristol to Cardiff, Dublin, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt, Munich and Paris.
There are also train links from Bristol to Glasgow, Edinburgh, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Reading, Swindon, London, Brussels and Paris.
By Train
Bristol has two mainline stations - with frequent trains to most major cities
- Bristol Temple Meads for the city centre - Bristol Parkway for the north of the city
By Road
- M4 to London - only 2 hours - M5 to Birmingham - only 2 hours - M32 takes you from the M4 straight to the city centre
By Coach
The city centre bus station at Marlbourough Street has services to Heathrow (2 hours) Gatwick (3 hours 20) and most major cities.
Freight
There are freight links between Bristol and Glasgow (8 hours), Immingham (5 hours 15 minutes), Manchester (3 hours 45), Birmingham (2 hours) , Fishguard (3 hours 45), Cardiff (1 hour), Felixstowe (6 hours) , Harwich (5 hours 45), London (3 hours), Dover (5 hours), Portsmouth (2 hours 50), Southampton (2 hours 45), and Plymouth (2 hours 55).
