MAJOR LOCATIONS
DORSET/BOURNEMOUTH/POOLE
 Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole is renowned for the diversity of its geology and wildlife as well as its stunning Jurassic coastline. Its protected bays and harbours offer some nationally renewed locations for watersports and the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy has been selected to host all the sailing events of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The area has a population of over 700,000 with 79.9% of the working age population participating in the local labour market by either being in or seeking employment.
Public administration, education and health are the largest sectors in the area by employees. There is also a relatively high proportion of employees in the financial services sector in Bournemouth and the manufacturing sector in Poole.
ICT, financial services and business support sectors have experienced significant growth in the area during the last decade. Advanced engineering and marine sectors have thrived locally with world renowned companies such as Cobham plc and Sunseeker International. Bournemouth and Poole are now looking to develop a pioneering environmental technologies sector to complement its aim of promoting sustainable development in the local area.
 There is a significant public sector presence with the Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue & Customs and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) all represented. These and the other public sector organisations employ 28% of the area's workforce.
Average pay across the area in 2007 was £22,000 which is lower than the average for both the South East region and London. The abundant labour force possessing a diverse mix of skills alongside comparatively low salaries, makes this an excellent place to locate and grow a business. There is a wide range of cost-effective property solutions and workspace facilities and excellent communication links including Bournemouth Airport and the ports of Poole, Portland and Weymouth.
 Swindon's pivotal position along the M4 corridor has enabled the town to play a significant role in South West England's economy with superb links by road, rail and air to London and the rest of the country.
With a district population of 180,000, Swindon can boast a large catchment of close to 300,000 people within a 30-minute drive of the city centre. A high proportion of residents, 63%, are of working age, and crucially the workforce is also highly skilled providing a mix of qualifications essential to any organisation looking to recruit.
Swindon has a long-established public sector base with a strong research presence. Five of the Government's research councils are represented in the area. In addition, English Heritage employs 400 staff at its National Monument Record Office. The most recent high-profile relocation to Swindon is the National Trust, which moved its headquarters there from London in 2005. Swindon is now the home to the National Technology Strategy Board, an executive non-departmental public body (NDPB), established by the Government through the DTI. Its task, operating across all important sectors of the UK economy, is to stimulate innovation in those areas which offer the greatest scope for boosting UK growth and productivity.
The town's strong business base is further demonstrated by the high level of employment in financial and business services - 25% of jobs in the area fall into this sector.
Swindon sits in an area of outstanding natural beauty with excellent access to the Cotswolds and Marlborough Downs. It has vast leisure and cultural facilities to suit a broad range of age groups and tastes, including the Swindon Designer Outlet, the biggest in Europe, located right in the heart of the town centre.
 Exeter is at the heart of the region. Vibrant and commercially strong, it is surrounded by countryside, moor and coastline. Exeter has an excellent range of development sites and office accommodation, which make the city a natural place to do business.
Exeter and its surroundings have a population of over 430,000 people, providing a workforce of over 218,000. The population have a broad range of skills with a higher than average number qualified to degree level or above.
 Fast and frequent train services to London - just over two hours away - are complemented by a hub of communications to national and international destinations. Exeter has eight railway stations, and is located by the M5 motorway and key trunk roads, whilst its airport is just five miles from the city centre.
A strong base of government agencies and departments contribute to 32% of all jobs, whilst the financial services and business sectors provide a further 18% of employment.
Exeter can accommodate both small and large scale relocations. Proof on the large scale is illustrated by the Met Office's high profile move from Berkshire to Exeter to establish their new headquarters, opened in October 2003. Other significant names in the Exeter area include the Environment Agency, English Nature, the Countryside Agency and The Bank of England.
 Greater Bristol (encompassing Bristol, Bath and Weston-super-Mare) is the largest city-region in the South West with a working population of half a million people. 860,000 people live within a 30-minute drive of the centre of Bristol and its economic links stretch from London to Cardiff, Birmingham to Plymouth. The international airport carries over 11,000 passengers per day on flights throughout Europe.
The area has a strong tradition of public sector employment with organisations such as the Environment Agency and the Defence  Procurement Agency located on the north fringe of the city. Bristol's financial services sector is the third largest outside London and is the largest private sector employer in the sub-region.
Three world-class universities with a strong reputation for working with industry and commerce contribute to business innovation and enterprise. 30% of Bristol's residents are educated to degree level and above, providing an extensive pool of high quality employees for both public and private sector organisations.
The quality of life is also second to none. Bristol is a European Centre of Culture and new development proposals, such as the refurbishment of the Colston Hall, will enhance the city's role as the regional cultural centre. Add in the World Heritage City of Bath and the picturesque North Somerset coast and you can see why the area is so popular - especially with average house prices around 40% lower than in the London region.
 Plymouth is located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with the Dartmoor National Park to the north, the natural harbour of Plymouth Sound to the south and the rivers Plym and Tamar on either side. Situated on the A38 Expressway, excellent air links are available from Plymouth City Airport, which is centrally located and close to Plymouth International Business Park and Tamar Science Park. Direct flights to London Gatwick and elsewhere in the UK are frequent, as well as connections to Jersey, Cork and Dublin, with other overseas destinations being planned.
The city has a population of 241,000, with a further 320,000 people living within a half hour drive.
Government agencies which have chosen to be based in Plymouth include the Child Support Agency, the Ministry of Defence, and the Land Charges Department. What's more, the Land Registry has a significant presence and their new facility will be a national centre with the world's largest on-line transactional database of its type.
With the establishment of the Peninsula Medical School, expansion of Derriford Hospital and associated science and medi-parks, Plymouth is fast becoming a centre of excellence in the medical and marine science sectors. However there is still a great deal of high quality office accommodation already in existence in the city, at around a third of the cost of similar buildings in Westminster.
 The natural beauty of Gloucester and the elegance of the spa town of Cheltenham make both areas ideal places to work and live.
Both locations have extensive catchment areas capable of attracting half a million potential workers within a 30-mile drive.
There is a strong public sector presence with a number of government departments and agencies based in the sub-region, no doubt attracted by the area's diverse skills base and the high proportion of residents qualified to  degree level or above.
Organisations of particular note in the area include the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) located on the outskirts of Cheltenham and the Department for Fisheries Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in Gloucester.
Gloucester and Cheltenham also have a strong track record in attracting other key sectors and functions, including finance and insurance (Chelsea Building Society), company headquarters (Kraft Jacobs Suchard) and research (British Energy).
Hand-in-hand with top-class accommodation opportunities go excellent communication links and infrastructure. There is good access from both towns to the M4 and M5 motorways and both locations have mainline train stations providing a direct link to London in two hours.
 Set in the midst of a stunning rural setting, Taunton is a great place to live and work. In addition to easy access to Exmoor and both coastlines, there are also three World Heritage Sites within an hour's drive.
The town is about to undergo a 'once in a generation' redevelopment -the 'Taunton Vision'. This is a major scheme comprising 47 hectares of town centre sites providing office and retail space together with housing and cultural facilities. Firepool, located next to the mainline railway station, is capable of accommodating up  to 60,000m 2 of offices, and already has substantial interest from developers.
Taunton's location makes it very accessible. London is less than 2 hours away by train and junctions 25 and 26 of the M5 give immediate access to the motorway network, with both Bristol and Exeter airports only 45 minutes drive time away.
The town has a strong public sector base reflected by the presence of a number of major organisations such as the Charity Commission, the UK Hydrographic Office (with 1050 staff), and the South West Regional Assembly Secretariat.
For the past decade, Taunton's economy has outperformed the national average. There are 340,000 people in Taunton Deane and the surrounding catchment area, with a high proportion of residents qualified to degree level. It all adds up to make Taunton a very attractive proposition for public sector relocation.
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