The Gatwick Diamond Economic Area has a GVA of £24bn, accounting for 10% of the South East region and the second highest in the United Kingdom, after the Thames Valley. With a per-worker GVA of £63,500, Gatwick Diamond workers are 16% more productive than the UK economy as a whole. 70% of Gatwick Diamond businesses are in knowledge intensive services business sectors, a vital component of the British economy. Other key sectors include international medical device exports £600m from Manor Royal and defence (Thales).

The Gatwick Diamond economy has been successful in attracting foreign investment with 18.5% of its workers employed by a foreign owned company. New business creation is high at 67 businesses per thousand residents, considerably higher than the UK average.

If growth in the area is not to be constrained, it is essential that the Gatwick Diamond maintains an adequate supply of flexible employment space in the right location, together with new infrastructure, healthcare and affordable housing offering a work / life balance and high quality of life.

If we are to maintain the adequate supply of skilled staff and, increasingly importantly, retain our higher skilled and younger workers needed to sustain the Gatwick Diamond, Redhill Garden Community is the best option for the future.

Redhill Garden Community, with its integrated infrastructure, healthcare, schooling, housing and modern flexible employment space - plus its connectivity - offers the ideal location and opportunity for business.

A new link road directly from the M23 would free business, emergency service and commuter traffic from being delayed at peak times, and provide easy access to the UK's second busiest airport.

The local area has direct rail links to London that will offer seamless connections to CrossRail 1 and CrossRail 2. The CrossRail projects offer destinations to the Oxford / Cambridge arc, Heathrow Airport and the Thames Valley all on a modern rail service. London Victoria also has good connections to London St. Pancras International and Eurostar services to continental Europe, Belgium, France, Holland and Germany.

With the proposed fast Busway delivering travellers to Gatwick Airport's South Terminal in around 10 minutes, the potential of low cost business travel to markets in the Americas, Asia, the Middle and the Far East will be vital for the Diamond as we look to develop new markets for British goods and service exports post Brexit.

The alternative to Redhill Garden Community is disparate business park provision that lacks the associated infrastructure critical to modern business and that will put pressure on existing, already dated and sub-standard infrastructure. The best option for the local and regional economy is Redhill Garden Community.