Lisburn Council has adopted its own "Welcome Host" initiative, which aims to complement the work of IDB by providing potential inward investors with a range of qualitative and quantitative evidence of the economic, social, environmental and infrastructural benefits of locating in the Lisburn Borough. The initiative involves approximately 60 key businesses, both indigenous and inward investor, and has resulted in polymer research (England) and computer diagnostic training companies (USA) working in partnership with Lisburn Training Centre and Lisburn Institute respectively.

  The region's technology, retailing and light manufacturing qualities are amongst the most advanced in Europe and these sectors will continue to be preferred in terms of expansion and investment potential. The Council's Factfile confirms the above points and a copy of the Council's Factfile is enclosed[1], for your information.

  In regard to TSN, the Council has had to accept the IDB and LEDU's policies on Targeting Social Need. However, whilst the TSN (and new TSN) policies have resulted in the development of the Springbank Industrial Estate, in Poleglass, over 60 per cent of those employed in the factories resident there come outside the Twinbrook and Poleglass area. This percentage is much higher in regard to senior supervisory, technical and management posts.

  In short, the Council questions the validity of a TSN policy which is aimed at social engineering and does not sit well with inward investors or the local workforce, both in terms of the Borough specifically and Northern Ireland generally. The region could be seen to be too small in European terms, to be fragmented in this way. Both Scottish Enterprise and the Welsh Development Agencies have moved away from this concept in their latest Strategic Plans.

  Operationally, the Council has a practical and positive relationship with the IDB and all of its enterprise partners. Increasingly, Lisburn is called upon by IDB to host or co-host inward investment delegations. In regard to newly developed IDB industrial land, the Council is working in partnership with the IDB to promote the new Knockmore 75 acre park and will be working with the nearby Training Centre and Enterprise Agency to advocate an "Enterprise Triangle" confirming the integration of key supply chain elements (large businesses, local suppliers and a trained workforce).

  Finally, the Council would wish to continue to advocate a planning relationship with IDB, whereby new sites could benefit from local socio-economic data provided by the Council in regard to having a "mix" of new inward investors with growing indigenous companies, together with exploiting local suppliers and infrastructure to benefit specific inward investment sectors. By inference, the Council will not necessarily support the concept of Call Centres in its region.

8 November 1999