Plans to create affordable business units for local start-ups and small businesses to rent will be a key focus for the year ahead.
The proposals for the new business centre include office and light manufacturing spaces as well as units which businesses can grow into.
A detailed business case is being drafted and will be presented to Braintree District Council Members for consideration in early autumn. The business case will detail the number and type of units which will be built, projected costs and income and the expected return on investment.
The business centre is expected to be built on a 1.5 hectare site, about the size of two football pitches, at Lodge Park, off of Hatfield Road.
If the business case and the budget is approved, a detailed planning application will be submitted later on this year.
Cllr Tom Cunningham, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Infrastructure at Braintree District Council, said: “We are committed to the creation of a new business centre to help support and grow businesses as well as create more job opportunities for residents. Our aim is to create high-quality and affordable commercial units to attract new businesses into the district and allow existing businesses to grow. This development will be a key project in generating the opportunities needed to get our economy back on track and into recovery.”