Enterprise zones are playing a vital role in driving forward the country’s economy, creating thousands of new jobs and paving the way for tens of thousands more, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles announced today.

The 24 enterprise zones are at the heart of the government’s ambitious long-term economic plan with latest figures showing they have created 12,530 jobs, attracted 434 new businesses and generated over £2 billion worth of private investment since opening for business.

The government-backed sites are providing top-class fiscal incentives and world-class infrastructure, promoting growth across a range of key industries, including the automotive, aerospace, pharmaceutical and renewable industry sectors.

They are also providing a significant boost to the UK’s construction industry and wider supply chain.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: “Enterprise zones are proving that our long-term economic plan is on track, creating thousands of jobs, attracting billions of pounds of investment and proving Britain is a great place to do business.

“This is just the start. We have worked hard over the past few years turning shovel-ready sites into job-ready sites. That work is now done and we are seeing more and more investors sign deals that will create tens of thousands more jobs over the coming years. That’s great news for local communities and great news for the economy.”

The government opened the zones in April 2012 as part of a 25-year project to rebalance the economy, offering tax incentives, simplified planning and super fast broadband to companies.

That vision has provided a major boost to the UK construction sector with work already carried out to redevelop 85 hectares of land and deliver more than 47,000 square metres of new or refurbished floor space.