Transportation Services:
East Cambridgeshire is ideally located for access to London, the Midlands and by air and sea to Europe. Most of the UK's main distribution routes are within easy reach of the district, including the M25 London orbital motorway, the A1 London-Newcastle motorway and the M1 London-Birmingham motorway. Ely rail station is an important UK rail interchange with direct services to London, Norwich, the Midlands and the North. Four international airports: London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted and London Luton, are all within two hours drive from the centre of the district. The UK's seven major seaports, all of which face mainland Europe, are located in the region and can also be reached within two hours.

The M18 and M180 motorways provide excellent access to the Humber Ports of Hull and Grimsby & Immingham, 1 hour’s drive away. There is a Channel Tunnel rail freight depot offering a direct link with the Channel Tunnel through to Europe. Doncaster also sits on the East Coast Mainline with London only a 90-minute journey away.

Assisted Area:
No.

Available Sites Include:
The district of East Cambridgeshire provides room to grow, with a wide range of sites available to suit different types of business. Currently 11 key sites are available for industrial development ranging from 1ha to 9.8ha. Sixty hectares of employment land are on offer for development in key strategic locations, including three of the area's market towns: Ely, Soham and Littleport. Sites are suitable for office, general industrial, storage, distribution and warehousing uses.

Major Business Parks:
Cambridgeshire Business Park (9.4 ha), Elean Business Park (40 ha), Ely Business Park (9.8 ha), Lancaster Way Business Park (53.7 ha).
 

Major Industries in the Area:
East Cambridgeshire has key strengths in the equine and biotech sectors. The district also boasts an impressive and growing cluster of high-tech businesses complementing the existing range of agricultural, construction, manufacturing and distribution companies already well-established in the area.

Major Companies in the Area:
East Cambridgeshire is part of Europe's largest biotech and technology cluster which is home to 3,500 technology companies, including global players such as Microsoft, Intel and Kodak.

Proximity to Cambridgeshire's biotech cluster, the largest outside the US, with companies located in the area including Dako, Cambridge Life Sciences and Genesis Diagnostics.

Advice and Assistance:
The Economic Development Team at East Cambridgeshire District Council can provide general advice and economic and business data for companies looking to locate in East Cambridgeshire, plus practical detailed help with locating sites and premises and planning issues.

Contact:
Darren Hill, Economic Development Team Leader, East Cambridgeshire District Council, The Grange, Nutholt Lane, Ely, Cambridgeshire CB7 4PL. Tel: +44-(0)1353-665555. Fax: +44-(0)1353-665240. E-mail: darren.hill@eastcambs.gov.uk. Web: www.eastcambs.gov.uk/business

Summary:
The City of Ely is currently one of the fastest growing cities in Europe, with new opportunities opening up for businesses moving to the district and expanding markets for those already established there.

The workforce of East Cambridgeshire is changing rapidly in line with population growth as people move into the area with a range of new skills. Businesses can harness the benefits of an experienced and diverse wider labour pool, including people with skills in biotech, R&D and engineering and proximity to the world-renowned University of Cambridge.

A recent MORI poll highlights East Cambridgeshire as one of the six best places to live in the UK, scoring 87.7 out of a total of 100 based on various quality of life indicators.