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    Small towns to grow as workers ditch cities


    A VISION of the Bristol area which will see the creation of a series of mini-cities across the area has been unveiled in a report by a business analyst.

     

    According to Bristol-based Bibby Financial Services more and more firms will move out of the city centre over the next decade.

     

    With the trend towards people working from home and the rise of smaller digital firms, towns such as Weston-super-Mare and Clevedon are set to grow in size and influence. Rather than get caught up in the daily grind of commuting into the city centre people will opt to work form home.

     

    Bibby say the South West of England will be transformed into a series of mini-cities with a surge in the number of micro-businesses.

     

    According to the report the region is set for a “a seismic shift in the business landscape, the likes of which has not been since the original industrial revolution”.

     

    The number of small and medium-organisations across the UK is predicted to rise by about 20 per cent by the year 2020. As a result firms are expected to begin operating outside conventional business hours and premises, with people splitting time between their home and ‘hub’ centres.

    The 2020 Vision – the Future of Business report was put together by a panel of commercial experts.


    Around five million workers are expected to flock to the Bristol area and there will be a sharp rise in the number of ‘semi-detached’ firms – organisations which offer their services to a number of firms. These businesses will form small and medium-sized enterprise ‘hubs’, rather than congregate in major towns and cities.

     

    Terry Wolfendale, from Bibby Financial Services in the South West, said: “The nature of business is inevitably going to evolve over the next decade, but it is intriguing to be given an insight into the precise impact on local business communities.

     

    “Firms across the region have shown resilience and adaptability, especially since the financial crisis began in 2007, and we expect them to evolve with the change outlined.”

     

    “Bristol Evening Post” 21.10.11