About Us
The Rochford District is located in Essex, in the East of England. It is within the Thames Gateway, to the east of London and to the north of Southend-on-Sea urban area. The District offers a very well-connected business base. It has a distinctly historic, rural setting and experience. There are three main towns; Rayleigh, Hockley and Rochford, plus a number of surrounding villages and hamlets. Home to approximately 3,800 businesses. The majority of businesses located here, are small to medium sized and we continue to support their growth. However, there is also great potential for larger businesses to thrive here too. A brand new large, high quality Airport Business Park is currently under construction. It is within walking distance of both London Southend Airport and the London Liverpool Street main line. Connecting businesses with the capital in less than an hour.
Grow your business in Rochford
There are so many reasons why you should consider investing in Rochford District, including:
- Great rail links – With frequent trains into London on the Southend Victoria to Liverpool Street line, there is easy access into the city from all four of the District’s train stations. Trains into London from Rochford, Hockley or Rayleigh take 50 minutes or less.
- Well connected roads – The District benefits from an east-west strategic highway network (A127 and A13) into London, M25 and beyond, and north-south links to Chelmsford (A1245 and A130).
- Access to a thriving regional airport – London Southend Airport is on the doorstep with its own train station, which is within 11 minutes of the District’s three other train stations. Connect with other parts of the UK, Europe and beyond.
- New, high quality business park being developed – To the north of London Southend Airport, just to the south west of Rochford train station, a new large-scale, high-quality and high-tech business park is being developed.
- Bustling, mixed-use employment sites – Whatever you’re looking for we have a range of sites which are home to a mix of high-tech, manufacturing, light industrial, retail and leisure uses. From small retail, office and service sites to large manufacturing sites.
- Access to superfast broadband – Much of the District is connected to high speed broadband, with further phases due to be rolled out over the next few years.
- Thriving, historic town centres – The towns of Rochford, Rayleigh and Hockley are steeped in history and offer a unique location to businesses.
- Education, training and apprenticeships – With four sixth forms in the District and University of Essex campus, South Essex College and SEEVIC college a short distance away there is an accessible pool of available talent.
- Close proximity to high-population centres – There is a large pool of potential employees in the District, and other centres nearby offer an accessible workforce for any business.
- High quality of life – Although well connected, we are the green lung of the Thames Gateway, the District has a distinct rural feel and there are many accessible parks and open spaces. The district’s coastline provides a wonderful place for walking, cycling, bird-watching, painting, photography or simply taking in the sea air. Wildlife havens include Foulness Island and the Roach Valley Conservation Zone. The Wallasea Island Wild Coast project is a landmark conservation and engineering scheme.
- High quality and variety of housing – The District offers a wide range of housing options from affordable housing, suitable for first time buyers, to executive style and totally unique homes.
For more information on why Rochford District could be an ideal match for your business, please download our flyer from the Related Content section. You are also invited to watch our ‘Explore Rochford District’ short film to give you a taster of what you can expect!
Contact Us
If you’re new to the area, and are considering relocating to Rochford District or setting up a new business, we’d love to hear from you. The Economic Development Team is one of the business facing departments of Rochford District Council.
Our aims are to to assist local businesses to grow and develop. To promote new business start-ups. To nurture and inspire entrepreneurial talent. And, to encourage existing businesses to relocate to the Rochford District.
All you need to do is contact us using this form or call 01702 318060
You can also sign up to the Rochford Business Network to keep up to date with the latest news for businesses in the District, including events, training, funding grants and networking opportunities. Just sign up to Business News at our FREE TellMeMore service here.