A COMMUNITY-based project, which aims to help local small businesses and boost employment, is celebrating its 20th anniversary.
Edington Station Yard Ltd was set up in 1993 as the village saw the need to protect the site. Following the threat of an unwanted planning application, villagers came together to purchase the 3.25 acre site in order to gain control of the site for the benefit of the village.
The resulting company is run as a business enterprise, which aims to provide local employment by making small business premises available at reasonable rates. There are now 22 units, which house a wide range of businesses, from manufacturers to services.
Bryan Mulligan-Scaife, chairman of Edington Station Yard Ltd said, “The company is prospering and its aims continue to be achieved in providing reasonably low cost accommodation for small business, employment and other benefits to the local community.”
He adds that the history of the company’s creation “demonstrates the uniqueness of what occurred in Edington twenty years ago.”
The site is continuing to evolve with new units being created, as particular businesses have either expanded or require changes to suit tenants’ needs. A major project is the re-roofing of the units, due for completion in late 2013 or 2014.
In addition to the business aspect of the site, Edington Station Yard Ltd contributes to the local community in various ways, by donating finance to local good causes, providing a small unit for the benefit of village groups. It also hosted the Avon Valley Runners Half Marathon last year and will do so again this year.
