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Background to the Area
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Runnymede is an attractive and accessible location. Its main attractions include the River Thames, The Runnymede Meadows (Magna Carta), The Air Forces Memorial, Thorpe Park, Wentworth Golf Course, Penton Hook Inland Marina, The Savill Gardens and Windsor Great Park. It also has a number of local attractions such as Egham and Chertsey Museums and the site of the former Chertsey Abbey. The volume and economic value of tourism is an essential part of Runnymedes economy, therefore the promotion and enhancement of tourist attractions that are sustainable is key to the future prosperity of its economy.
The River Thames is a valuable asset in Runnymede due to its natural beauty and amenity value. It is regarded as a regional facility which serves a wide range of functions in terms of its recreational, leisure and sport opportunities such as boating and riverside walks, as well as being a natural haven for many species of plant and wildlife.
The Borough also has a rich supply of amenity and open space serving local communities, including parks and gardens, natural and semi natural urban green spaces, green corridors, allotments, community gardens, as well as informal recreational areas, play area and formal sports grounds and facilities. Urban fringe areas also provide additional walking and recreational opportunities.
The Council recognizes the contribution the tourism industry can have on the local economy, and hotels and guesthouses are important in terms of providing direct employment and supporting other local firms that provide goods and services. Runnymede has a good range of higher-end hotels and venues.
The historic fabric of the Borough is also key to the tourist economy, particularly the sites of historic significance including the sites of Chertsey Abbey, the sealing of Magna Carta, the John F Kennedy and Royal Air Force Memorials, Virginia Water Lake and Windsor Great Park.
Business within the Area:
There are extensive modern business areas close to this site including; the Thorpe Industrial Estate, The Causeway between Egham and Staines, The Weybridge and Bourne Business Parks near Addlestone, , Pine Trees near Staines, and Hillswood Business Park near Chertsey. These are occupied by national and international businesses such as BUPA, Gartner, British Gas, Samsung, and by local businesses. There are also a number of other small business estates in the borough with both modern and older refurbished offices, workshops, industrial and storage/distribution premises, let mainly to local companies.
There has been considerable redevelopment and regeneration of Runnymedes business areas and town centres in the past 10 years, particularly along The Causeway, as well as new offices at: Hills wood, Aviator Park, the Thorpe Industrial Estate and the Chertsey revitalization area.
There are also major employment sites in Runnymedes Green Belt providing jobs in health, education, leisure, and research and development including: St Peters Hospital near Chertsey, Royal Holloway University of London at Egham, Thorpe Park near Chertsey, the Veterinary Laboratory Agency at New Haw and the headquarters of Procter and Gamble near Egham.
This mix of town centre, business estate and Green Belt employment locations supports a strong and diverse local economy and a large number of well paid jobs. As a result, 2001 Census figures show that Runnymede attracted 27,000 daily in-commuters to these locations. This is 4,800 more than the number of resident workers who commute out of the borough to jobs elsewhere in Surrey, the Heathrow area and central London.
The relative shortage of local labour supply compared with labour demand identified by the 2001 Census still exists and is likely to continue in the future. Locating housing near to employment improves accessibility to jobs, and has the potential to reduce commuting and promote sustainable development. The Runnymeded Borough Council have identified a number of vacant and underused employment sites that could be redeveloped, with housing and mixed use schemes to help increase the local labour force, promote sustainable development and make better use of underused land.
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