THIRTY years since starting his estate agency business Bill Jackson has been appointed chairman of the Hereford Enterprise Zone.

The enterprise zone could bring up to 270 new businesses and 6,500 new jobs to the county.

In his new non-executive role, Bill will lead the zone’s board and is looking close to home for what can be done.

For the past 20 years he’s been a director, then chairman, of the Leominster Area Regeneration Company (LARC), the principles of which – albeit on a much smaller scale – he believes he can bring to the zone.

LARC’s achievements for Leominster range from a new industrial estate to taking the town centre’s shop occupancy rate as high as 94 per cent.

A testament to LARC’s work will be the transformation of Leominster’s iconic Grange Court, soon to be a new community, social enterprise and heritage hub.

“The zone’s success is key to the future prosperity of the city and county, creating jobs and apprenticeships not only in the zone, but throughout Herefordshire,” said Bill, who was born in Hereford and who set up Jackson’s estate agency in 1982.

Potential for 6,500 jobs

The Hereford Enterprise Zone is a 72ha site at the Rotherwas Industrial Estate, that is pitched as a base for 270 new businesses creating around 6,500 new jobs if fully developed.

It is anticipated that the site should be available with high speed broadband facilities early in 2013.

The core sector focus is in defence, security and intelligence sectors supported by advanced manufacturing, food technology and environmental technologies.