For too long our area has been treated by successive Governments as a ‘rural backwater’, and that’s why, since becoming the MP back in 2010, I have spent so much of my time working with local businesses, entrepreneurs and councillors to advocate for a ‘Rural Renaissance’ here in Mid Norfolk and the East. 

I have consistently voiced my belief that we stand on the cusp of something special in our area, a once-in-a-generation chance to drive a new cycle of growth, investment and jobs. 

The Eastern region is fast becoming the home of the most innovative companies in Europe, especially within the fields of food, medicine and energy (known broadly as ‘life sciences’), as well as in innovation and engineering. We already have the globally respected Norwich Research Park on a doorstep, which employs 11,000 people and is home to a variety of world-leading enterprises like the John Innes Centre and Sainsbury Laboratory. There’s the incredible Hethel Engineering Centre, at which Lotus has seen over a £1bn worth of investment in recent years, and the Easton Food Hub, home to the world’s largest vertical far, too.  

As a Member of Parliament and having served as the first ever Minister of Life Sciences, I have been honoured to play my role in helping to drive forward this agenda and promoting the work of Norfolk entrepreneurs and businesses in Government and around the world – including through my Norfolk Way project, a not for profit social enterprise to promote a more entrepreneurial rural economy. 

I am determined to do all I can to champion Norfolk in this regard – especially as our county looks to lead the way for our country’s Green Revolution and play a key role as the UK seeks to establish itself as a true ‘Science Superpower’ (an agenda I have been heavily involved in when serving as Minister for Science, Research and Innovation earlier this year). 

If we can capitalise on our area’s role in these huge growth sectors, I believe we will see more investment coming to our area and more businesses ‘spinning out’ and setting up in our local towns and villages. In turn, they will train more local people and provide thousands more well paid jobs, breathing fresh life into our local communities and raising more money to invest in our local services and infrastructure. 

That’s why I was delighted to see today’s article in the EDP highlighting why the A11 Tech Corridor must become an Investment Zone (see here). This is a BIG opportunity to turbo-charge the process I have outlined above and I am relishing the chance to work with local councillors to state Norfolk’s case. 

I would like to see our local stations at Wymondham and Attleborough at the centre of regeneration plans that make them accessible gateways to the nearby town centres and local housing, encouraging people to use the railway line (and taking cars off our roads) while also attracting businesses and tourists to come and use 5G meeting spaces and incubators in the surrounding area. I would also like to see more investment being made into local businesses, creating thousands more opportunities for local people and spreading wealth and positive growth and development.  

Rest assured however, I will not accept a scenario in which this wonderful opportunity become an excuse to drive a “coach and horses” through our local environmental protections and facilitate blanket development on our green spaces. As I have vocally said over the years, we should be embracing a better model of development (see more on my planning campaign page here) – one that respects and enhances local communities and protects our precious rural way of life (the very thing that makes our area such a nice place to live and work in, as well as visit). 

I have sought assurances from ministers and officials and have been clearly informed that, while the Government intends to remove burdensome EU requirements as part of the Investment Zone proposals, key planning policies that protect our natural habitats and maintain national environmental policies on the Green Belt and other green areas will be unaffected. The Government focus is only on removing unnecessary bureaucracy which does nothing to protect the environment but holds up permitted development. (I will be following developments on this closely to ensure this remains the case). 

I am committed to doing all I can to lead this ‘Rural Renaissance’ and improve the lives and prospects of my Mid Norfolk constituents. To find out more, please visit my campaign titled ‘Norfolk’s Innovation Economy’ here and see more on my other local work on my website here.