THE PERFECT LOCATION FOR THE PUBLIC SECTOR

• Public Sector Departments that currently have a significant presence in South West England

South West England has already made a name for itself by attracting a large number of high-profile public sector employers ranging from the Environment Agency at Aztec West in Bristol and English Nature in Exeter, to the Department for Environment, Fisheries and Food (DEFRA) in Gloucester and the UK Hydrographic Office in Taunton. 
 
This strong public services base accounts for 25% of the economy, compared to 23% for the UK as a whole. These roles cover a broad range of functions, skills and specialist areas, ranging from work in contact centres and administrative roles, to highly skilled policy and scientific functions. 
 
And this long term trend shows no signs of slowing down. Even before the relocation of government agencies is taken into account, the public services sector in South West England is expected to grow by 2.5% per year over the next five years. 
 
Government bodies and agencies have a particularly strong presence in the region as you can see from the details on this page. There is also a strong focus on environmental and heritage groups such as the National Trust, English Heritage and English Nature. 
 
The Defence Procurement Agency (DPA) at Abbey Wood in Bristol is an excellent example of how government, and the private sector, have helped each other - and benefited the region as a whole. For the DPA, the co-location of 15 separate sites around the UK to Abbey Wood (the largest public sector relocation at the time) has contributed costs savings of £105m per year. Eight years on, a number of defence and aerospace contractors have clustered in North Bristol, stimulating the development of a specialist skills base. 
 
The recent decisions by the Met Office and the National Trust to relocate to the region are further examples of the economic advantages on offer in South West England.

PUBLIC SECTOR DEPARTMENTS THAT CURRENTLY HAVE A SIGNIFICANT PRESENCE IN SOUTH WEST ENGLAND INCLUDE:

• Audit Commission;
• Benefits Agency;
• Charity Commission for England and Wales;
• Child Support Agency;
• Defence Procurement Agency (DPA);
• Department for Environment, Fisheries and Food (DEFRA);
• English Heritage;
• English Nature;
• Environment Agency;
• Government Communication Headquarters (GCHQ);
• Highways Agency;
• HM Customs & Excise;
• Inland Revenue;
• Land Registry;
• Met Office;
• Research Councils (Biotechnology & Biological Sciences, Economic & Social, Engineering & Physical Sciences, Natural Environment, Particles, Physics & Astronomy);
• Royal Air Force HQ - Personnel & Training Command;
• South West of England Regional Development Agency;
• The Bank of England;
• The Countryside Agency;
• Department for Work & Pensions;
• The Planning Inspectorate;
• UK Hydrographic Office;
• Universities & Colleges Admission Service (UCAS).