Good growth in every postcode 7th August 2026

Andy Burnham’s pledge to the country is for “good growth in every postcode and hope in every heart”. What would this look like in practice? The answer lies in the economic success stories of British companies across the UK and building on these successes across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Each week during recess, Paul Dimoldenberg looks at economic news from across the country to identify what “good growth” looks like in a diverse set of local communities to deliver the much-needed economic growth to power the economy and deliver new jobs, increased wealth and additional tax revenues to pay for improved public services. 

This week we feature:

• A new rail innovation centre in Chesterfield
• Expansion of marine surveying company in Aberdeen
• Investment in Wakefield industrial presses
• Nuclear submarine investment in Barrow
• A new Innovation Hub in Samlesbury
• New Innovation Park in Aberystwyth
• New aircraft conversion campus and global HQ at Teesside 

Chesterfield: Rail innovation and training centre opens at Barrow Hill

The Derbyshire Rail Industry Innovation Vehicle (DRIIVe) in Barrow Hill has opened. It offers modern classrooms and training areas, specialist research and development facilities including a digital laboratory, and commercial workshop space. DRIIVe is led by Labour Chesterfield Borough Council in collaboration with Barrow Hill Engine Shed Society, and its commercial arm, Barrow Hill Ltd, which will manage the facility on a day-to-day basis.

DRIIVe represents the council’s ambition to be a leading destination for the rail industry, to provide training and a base for businesses, together with the facilities needed to carry out cutting-edge research and development. Works on the new facility, which is located next to the historic Barrow Hill Roundhouse, were completed earlier this year by Chesterfield Borough Council’s contractor Stepnell.

Aberdeen: Specialist marine surveying company expands

AMS Global Group has strengthened its long-term commitment to the North East of Scotland following the acquisition of new premises and marks an important milestone for the Aberdeen-based specialist marine surveying and safety services business. The funding package from Barclays will help finance the acquisition and redevelopment of the property, which the company plans to refurbish and enhance to create a more sustainable, efficient facility aligned with its long-term environmental and operational objectives.

Located within the North East Scotland Investment Zone, the acquisition reinforces AMS Global Group’s commitment to Aberdeen as the strategic base for the next phase of its development. It also represents a further vote of confidence in the region’s position as a centre for ambitious, internationally focused businesses. The Barclays Business Prosperity Fund is a £22bn commitment to help UK businesses invest for growth, build resilience and unlock future opportunities.

Wakefield: Major investment in industrial presses

Group Rhodes, a Wakefield-based manufacturer of heavy industrial presses and forming equipment, is investing £400,000 in new plant and facilities to strengthen its capability to design, manufacture and deliver large-scale press projects for customers around the world. The investment consists of new assembly pits and material handling equipment and enhances the company’s ability to handle large and complex projects with greater precision, capacity and efficiency.

The business will have the scale to take on increasingly ambitious contracts across the aerospace, defence, advanced manufacturing and general engineering sectors and the investment is a statement of confidence in the future of manufacturing in the UK. Group Rhodes has a 200-year history in metal forming machinery and has also manufactured equipment for the forming of composites since the 1930s.

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Barrow: Nuclear submarine investment 

The £8.4bn investment into next-generation nuclear deterrent submarines will breathe new life into Barrow and its historic place as the fourth major production phase of the UK’s Dreadnought Class submarine programme. A contract worth £5.9bn has been agreed by the government and BAE Systems, the Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE) industry partner responsible for submarine production from its shipyard in Barrow, the home of UK submarine building.

Further investments are set to be committed to Rolls-Royce Submarines in Derby and the wider supply chain across the UK. The DNE supports more than 6,000 UK companies in the supply chain and backs about 47,000 UK jobs. Under the Dreadnought Delivery Phase 4 (DP4) investment, HMS Dreadnought, the first of the four new nuclear deterrent submarines, is set to complete its sea trials and be ready to enter service with the Royal Navy in the early 2030s. Boat two, HMS Valiant, will reach sea trials while boats three and four will achieve key construction milestones. This next phase is expected to further enhance continual and sustained productivity growth in Barrow, where a 40 per cent increase has been achieved over the last three years, and about 1,800 additional roles have been created.

Lancashire: Planning approval for Samlesbury Innovation Hub

Planning approval has been secured for the £13.2m Samlesbury Innovation Hub in Lancashire. Located at the Samlesbury Enterprise Zone, the Innovation Hub will provide up to 30,000 sq ft of flexible commercial space, including office accommodation, collaboration areas and event facilities for businesses operating across aerospace, defence, advanced manufacturing, engineering, cyber and technology.

The building has been designed to support businesses at different stages of growth, bringing together industry, universities and specialist practitioners in one location.

It will provide flexible space for SMEs while supporting collaboration with larger businesses, helping new ideas move more quickly into commercial application.

The design also allows for future adaptation, including the potential for laboratory-enabled space should occupier demand and future market requirements evolve.

The Innovation Hub forms part of Lancashire’s wider programme of investment to support economic growth, strengthen nationally significant industries and attract private sector investment. The Lancashire Growth Plan identifies National Security and Resilience as one of the county’s strategic growth priorities, building on Lancashire’s established strengths in aerospace, defence, advanced manufacturing and cyber.

Aberystwyth: New innovation park for Aberystwyth

Plans for the Green Futures Innovation Park, which will create a centre for business-led innovation, sustainability and economic growth based at Aberystwyth University’s Gogerddan Campus, have moved forward with funding partners giving outline plans the go-ahead. The plans set out a programme of investments valued at about £50m, including a potential investment of up to £14.3m through the Mid Wales Growth Deal.

The park aims to build on the University’s expertise in agri-tech, food security, plant science, bio-based manufacturing, biorefining and environmental science, to boost research and development in mid Wales and create further opportunities for start-ups and SMEs. With investment from the UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, the first phase of work on the major research project is already underway, with redevelopment of the University’s plant growth facilities as well as upgraded food-grade research spaces. The Mid Wales Growth Deal is jointly funded by the UK Government and Welsh Government and is designed to leverage further public and private investment.

Teesside: New aircraft conversion campus and global HQ at Teesside International Airport

Teesside International Airport has secured a 50-year agreement with Alfor Aviation to establish a new aircraft conversion campus. The development, which will also act as the company’s headquarters, is expected to create 250 jobs. The agreement will result in a £50m investment at Teesside Airport, with Alfor developing a purpose-built aircraft conversion facility comprising hangars, engineering workshops and warehousing. Once fully operational, the site will be capable of converting up to 24 passenger aircraft into freighters each year.

Construction is expected to begin shortly, with the facility starting operations by the end of 2027. The technology enables aircraft to be converted for cargo operations without cutting a large cargo door into the fuselage, reducing conversion costs and accelerating turnaround times. The development will establish Teesside as Alfor Aviation’s global headquarters, bringing together executive management, engineering, aircraft conversion, logistics and support functions.

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