Ask almost any inward investment team in the country to list their location’s key selling points and there’s a fair bet that ‘central location’ crops up within seconds.
It sounds good but what does it actually mean?
A cursory search online demonstrates that centrality is anything but a ‘unique’ selling point. More than 30 locations from Scotland to the South Coast describe themselves with the dreaded ‘C-word’:
“fantastic central location at the heart of Scotland” – Stirling
“centrally located on the East Coast main rail line” – North East England
“centrally located in the UK, giving relatively good access to most population centres” – Barrow-in-Furness
“the area’s strategic position - centrally located in the UK” – York
“an enviably central location in the UK” – Merseyside
“offers a great central location” – Chesterfield
“central location on the east coast of England” – North Lincolnshire
“centrally located within the UK” – Leeds
"has a good central location” – Kirklees
“because of its central location and good communications links” – South Yorkshire
“central location” - Sheffield
“central location with excellent transport links” – Derby
“central location, excellent connectivity” – Nottingham
“our central location” – Stoke-on-Trent
“with a central location, unrivalled communications infrastructure” – Stafford
“a central Location” – Marches
“central location, excellent connectivity” – Coventry & Warwickshire
“attractive location for businesses because of its central location” – East Midlands
“key strengths across sectors include the central location within the UK” – Birmingham
“our area enjoys a central location in the UK with excellent transport links” – Leicester and Leicestershire
“its central location, good transport links…” - Northamptonshire
“central location with good rail and air links” – South Oxfordshire
“with its strategic central location” – Milton Keynes
“central location within the UK” – Cherwell
“our central location and excellent road and rail…” – Swindon
“good central location” - Wycombe
“use our central location to attract some inward investment” – Cheltenham
“offers a central location, good transport links” – Lambeth
“enjoys a central location in the South West region” – Somerset
“central location - just perfect for business” – Cornwall
The phrase has been so misused that it ceases to mean anything to potential investors. By the way, here’s a list of places that are NOT “centrally located” that seem to do quite well: London, Edinburgh, New York, Barcelona, Silicon Valley, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Cape Town.
Sometimes being in the centre is great but you have to say why. This is about articulating a clear business proposition, not simple lines on a map. Proximity and access to suppliers and customers is a key driver for most inward investment projects, but it’s so much more than just being ‘central’.
