When economic development is discussed, attention naturally turns to major investments, new technologies and the industries that could create the jobs of the future.
But for many businesses in Neath Port Talbot, the immediate barrier to growth is much more practical: they cannot find the right building.
The availability of modern industrial premises is not a secondary property issue. It is a fundamental part of the area’s economic infrastructure.
A growing manufacturer may need additional floorspace to install new machinery, consolidate operations, increase production or fulfil a larger contract. If suitable premises are unavailable, that business faces a difficult choice. It can remain constrained, divide its operation across several sites or consider relocating outside Neath Port Talbot.
In each case, the local economy risks losing potential investment, employment and productivity.
The problem is not an absence of ambition among local businesses. Nor is it necessarily an absence of interest among developers. Industrial development can often be difficult to make commercially viable, particularly where sites require remediation, new access arrangements, utilities or other substantial enabling work.
Older industrial buildings may no longer meet the requirements of modern occupiers. At the same time, the cost of constructing new premises can exceed the market value or rental income those buildings are expected to generate. This creates a viability gap that the market cannot always overcome without support.
That is why industrial premises should be treated in the same way as other enabling infrastructure.
Government already recognises that transport, energy and digital connectivity influence where businesses invest. The availability of appropriate employment space should be regarded with the same importance. Without it, companies cannot convert growth plans into productive capacity.
Neath Port Talbot has developed a clear and evidence-led pipeline of industrial sites and premises based on a verified business demand. This forms part of the Place Based Business Case approach that the Council is working on with UK Government. We understand the sizes and types of units required, the sectors generating demand and the timescales within which businesses expect to expand. That information is matched against the existing property stock, available land and the work needed to bring priority sites forward.
Different locations will require different responses.
Some sites will need public investment in remediation, access or utilities before private development becomes viable. In other cases, gap funding or a partnership between the public and private sectors may be appropriate. There may also be circumstances in which direct public development is justified because there is strong business demand but insufficient commercial incentive for the market to act alone.
The objective should not be to construct speculative buildings without evidence. It should be to create a sequenced programme that responds to genuine demand and demonstrates the investment and employment each intervention could unlock.
Preparation is crucial. If Neath Port Talbot waits until an investor or expanding business requires a site, it may already be too late. Land assembly, planning, infrastructure and construction take time. A successful investment proposition therefore depends on having credible options ready before an enquiry arrives.
This is particularly important as the area moves through industrial transition. The transformation of steelmaking, the Celtic Freeport and opportunities connected to energy and advanced manufacturing could generate demand from suppliers and related businesses. Neath Port Talbot must have the premises required to capture that activity locally.
Suitable space also matters to established SMEs. Economic development cannot focus exclusively on attracting large outside investors while overlooking businesses that are already rooted in the community. Helping an existing company expand can preserve local ownership, deepen supply chains and create employment with a greater likelihood of remaining in the area.
Planning capacity forms part of the same system. Businesses and developers need early engagement, realistic timescales and clear decisions.
That does not mean reducing proper scrutiny. It means ensuring that viable proposals are shaped effectively and that problems are identified before they become expensive causes of delay.
Neath Port Talbot has land, industrial experience and a strong pipeline of economic opportunities. What it needs now is the availability of suitable funding to converti those assets into premises that businesses can occupy.
We want to work with local businesses and Stakeholders to make this happen
