Date: Tue 29th June, 2010
Venue: iKon, Central Park, Rugby, CV23 0WE
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Insider’s first ever Rugby Economic Forum attracted around 50 local business people to Highcross’s iKon development on the edge of town.
They heard Cliff Cooper, a consultant at local law firm Brethertons, say that Rugby hasn’t suffered as badly in the recession as many other towns and cities have. “Rugby has never grown tremendously fast or slowed down tremendously fast either,” he said. “It tends to plough its own furrow so we haven’t been desperately badly hit.”
Looking to the future, Rugby Borough Council deputy chief executive Ian Davis, said: “Over the next 15 years is due to expand rapidly. The population now is around 70,000 but between now and 2026 it is expected to grow by 25,000. The trick is going to be linking these new housing sites to the town and making sure they contribute to it.”
Speaking about the likelihood of planned development projects going ahead, Ian Leather, regional head of office at property consultancy Lambert Smith Hampton, said: “A lot of things are market driven. Land assembly has always been an issue. But we need to find where the quick wins can be delivered.”
Malcolm Smith, managing director of local firm ECL Contracts, said: “It’s still difficult out there. Our work is 50-50 between the public and private sector and we will hopefully be growing the private sector side of things.”