A major industrial complex in Stratford-upon-Avon has been given a new image – with the promise of attracting more than 1,000 new jobs in the coming months.

The campaign to breathe new life into the site has begun with the officially re-naming of Timothy’s Bridge Road and Masons Road industrial estates as Stratford Enterprise Park.

The whole of the new-look three acre site has been split into two colour-coded zones with new signage partly funded by Warwickshire County Council, to make it easier for visitors to find their way round the site.

More improvements are planned in order to boost the competitiveness of local businesses in the area’s primary industry development site that provides as many as 2,500 jobs.

Roy Catlin, chairman of Stratford Enterprise Park Business Group said: “Its sheer size means it has always been too easy for small companies to go relatively unnoticed here.

“The idea is simply to make it easier for visiting customers and clients to find the business they are looking for. The signs we have in place are bold and clearly visible and add a touch of polish to the estate.

“Added to that is the need for the estate to create a much stronger identity for itself, which was the thinking behind the name change. Now there is no chance of anybody driving past Stratford Enterprise Park and not knowing it is there.”

Coun George Atkinson, chairman of Warwickshire County Council’s Stratford-upon-Avon area committee, also remarked that the enterprise park represented a important commercial diversification in an area heavily dependant on tourism.

“It sends out an important message about where we are going. This project not only brings a new buzz to the area but also gives existing businesses on the estate an improved image, helping to increase their economic confidence and vitality. It can only encourage new business opportunities and give a boost to local employment.”

The regeneration of the site will also create more than 1,000 jobs are by way of a new £20 million “office village” which is being developed, offering 100,000 sq ft of Grade A accommodation on Timothy’s Bridge Road.

Coun Atkinson added: “This is excellent news for Stratford-upon-Avon. It demonstrates a growing confidence in our district and the way we conduct business with investors and creators of quality jobs.”

Richard Sweeney, business advisor for Warwickshire County Council added: “The bottom line is that Stratford Enterprise Park is a successful place of business for more than 120 companies.

“But nobody could deny that there were several aspects of the estate that were in need of investment - from the lack of quality road signs to the work that started eight years ago to upgrade to main highway standards the half a mile stretch of Timothy’s Bridge Road used by more than 200 vehicles an hour. We are keen to back Stratford Enterprise Park and help businesses develop there.”

The businesses which operate from the estate’s Mansley Business Centre are a complete cross section, from recruitment and logistics to media and business consultants - even the official fan club for BBC Radio 4’s The Archers.

Mr Catlin, who is responsible for the 30 small businesses that occupy the custom designed 37-unit business centre, added: “I tend to think of Stratford Enterprise Park as being the sharp end of the market - if good things are happening here its only a matter of time before the effects spread elsewhere.”