Good growth in every postcode 23rd September 2026

Andy Burnham’s pledge to the country is “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 – small, medium and large – across the UK and building on these successes across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Each week, Paul Dimoldenberg looks at economic news from across the country to identify what “good growth” looks like in a diverse set of local communities; stories of much-needed economic growth that will  power the economy and deliver new jobs, increase wealth and ensure additional tax revenues to pay for improved public services. This week we feature:

• Doncaster Sheffield Airport places radar order (DN9)
• Port of Nigg to create 180 offshore wind jobs (IV19)
• Battery engineering specialist invests in Coventry (CV5)
• McLaren Automotive to create 1,000 jobs in Woking and Rotherham (GU21 and S60)
• Perth’s SSEN Transmission welcomes its 3,000th employee (PH1)
• Plan to create £1bn Bicester mobility innovation cluster (OX27)
• County Durham Tool manufacturing and reconditioning firm expands (DH9)

Doncaster: Doncaster Sheffield Airport places radar order (DN9)

Doncaster Sheffield Airport has taken another step towards its planned reopening after placing a multi-million-pound order for a new radar system from Raytheon UK, which is due to be operational in 2027. The investment is the largest capital commitment made during the airport’s pre-opening programme and forms a key part of preparations for the return of freight operations next year and scheduled passenger services in 2028.

The new system will provide higher-resolution surveillance than the equipment previously used at the airport before its closure in 2022 and is designed to reduce reliance on third-party radar services. It also includes technology to mitigate interference from wind farms, an increasingly important consideration for UK airports.

More than 80 people are already employed at the site as work continues to prepare the airport for reopening, with further investment having already been made in air traffic control facilities, training equipment and operational teams.

Inverness: Port of Nigg to create 180 offshore wind jobs (IV19)

Up to 180 new jobs are being created in the Scottish Highlands to support the construction of the world’s largest offshore wind farm – the 3.6GW Dogger Bank Wind Farm. The jobs will be based at Maraen Port of Nigg near Inverness, which has been selected as the marshalling harbour, where turbine components will be prepared before transport offshore for the Dogger Bank B and C phases. The jobs include project managers, port operators, and mechanical and electrical technicians involved in turbine pre-assembly works.

Recruitment has been underway in recent months, with the roles expected to support project activity through to the expected completion of Dogger Bank Wind Farm in mid-2028. An independent economic impact report published last year found that the Dogger Bank Wind Farm project is expected to generate £6.1bn for the UK economy over its lifetime while supporting thousands of skilled jobs across the country.

Coventry: Battery engineering specialist invests in Coventry (CV5)

SubSea Craft has completed a strategic investment for a 40 per cent equity interest in Coventry-based LORILLION, a provider of battery development services across the defence, marine, aerospace and automotive sectors. The investment will enable the expansion of LORILLION’s engineering team to more than 70 people, accelerate the development of its proprietary battery-management technology, and support a new production facility in the Midlands. 

The strategic partnership with SubSea Craft will accelerate the development of key battery technologies and a dedicated battery-pack manufacturing capability, enabling an end-to-end sovereign capability in the UK. The partnership is particularly important to the development of VICTA, SubSea Craft’s advanced dual domain maritime platform, intended to provide global special operations forces with a new generation of covert maritime insertion. 

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Woking and Rotherham: McLaren Automotive to invest £500m and create 1,000 jobs in the UK (GU21 and S60)

McLaren Automotive has announced a £500m investment programme to expand its UK manufacturing, engineering and operations. It will enable McLaren Automotive to expand its production capability, increasing vehicle output to ensure the next generation of McLaren Automotive cars are built in Britain, including a new performance SUV. This will be made possible by a new vehicle assembly facility planned in the UK.

McLaren Automotive will also expand operations at the McLaren Production Centre in Woking and its carbon-fibre manufacturing and research facility in South Yorkshire at the McLaren Composites Technology Centre. The programme will create at least 1,000 new direct and indirect jobs across McLaren’s UK operations by 2032, while safeguarding existing roles. Up to 3,000 additional jobs are expected to be created across supply chain, bolstering the British automotive sector and boosting exports.

The company has recently opened two new UK sites – a design and innovation centre at the McLaren Creation Centre in Bicester, and a testing and vehicle development facility in the Midlands. Together with its Woking and Rotherham sites, they form an integrated UK operation, from design through to advanced manufacturing. Andy Burnham MP, Prime Minister, said: “It’s this kind of partnership between government and business that will help us reindustrialise communities and make every part of Britain better off.”

Perth: SSEN Transmission welcomes its 3,000th employee (PH1)

Perth-based SSEN Transmission has welcomed its 3,000th employee, marking a significant milestone in the company’s continued growth, as the company’s workforce has risen from around 400 employees in 2019 to 3,000 today. This growth has been supported by the company’s £29bn programme of investment to reinforce and expand the electricity transmission network across its licence area. Its offices are in Inverness, Aberdeen, Glasgow as well as in Perth.

The business has seen particularly strong growth in Perthshire, where there are more than 800 employees and where the office has recently been extended to provide increased capacity for 80 new staff. The company has also announced plans to create a further 500 jobs by the end of March 2027. The new opportunities will be created across the company’s north of Scotland operating area, including project development, engineering, construction, environmental planning, stakeholder engagement and corporate services. 

Bicester: Plan to create £1bn mobility innovation cluster (OX27)

Bicester Motion in Oxfordshire has submitted four outline applications to develop more than 14 million sq ft of new workspace, creating a £1bn innovation campus which, between them, are expected to create 5,600 construction jobs, as well as 7,600 jobs in the operational phases. Subject to planning approval, the proposals are expected to boost the UK economy by £1.19bn in gross value added (GVA) each year.

• The first application is for The Rushes, and the creation of 5.1 million sq ft of commercial, demonstration, hospitality and customer engagement space.
• Second, there are plans for Command Works Phase 2, comprising more than 1.6 million sq ft of flexible employment space between electric motor maker YASA and the Bicester Heritage area.
• Third, Motion Living would see 200 low-rise, low-density apartments, including affordable housing, developed across 2.9 million sq ft to create a live-work community for businesses at the campus.
• A fourth outline planning application is due to be submitted for The New Technical Site, involving five million sq ft of research, development and scale-up space for mobility, engineering and technology businesses.

County Durham: Tool manufacturing and reconditioning firm expands (DH9)

Renovo Tool Group, a County Durham-based tool manufacturing and reconditioning business is set to double its turnover after securing a £1.6m asset finance facility. Based on Tanfield Lea Industrial Estate in County Durham, Renovo Tool Group is a collective of specialist tooling businesses, combining cutting tool distribution, custom manufacturing and reconditioning expertise to help manufacturers improve productivity, reduce costs and operate more sustainably. 

The new £1.6m Asset Finance funding will support the group’s next phase of growth, supporting significant investment in advanced equipment, creating new skilled jobs and increasing production capacity. Antony Gray, founder and managing director of Renovo Tool Group said: “This latest investment will support the next phase of our growth journey, helping us to double turnover, continue rewarding our loyal team, create new jobs and invest with confidence despite the challenging economic environment.

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