A UK-wide study has ranked Gloucester as the country's third most energy efficient location in which to start a business, with more than two thirds of its premises having the best efficiency ratings.
Research from business energy tariff comparison service, Utility Bidder, found that 68.4 per cent of Gloucester's non-domestic properties have positive energy efficiency ratings – a measure of the overall efficiency of a building – of A+, A or B, which is the third highest percentage of any local authority in the UK.
Energy efficiency is desirable for businesses looking to save on their energy costs and also lower their carbon footprint, with Gloucester falling in the 17.3 per cent of all local authorities in England and Wales where 50 per cent or more of its business buildings have the top ratings.
The highest-ranking city on the list, Gloucester came in behind only Wokingham in Berkshire and Boston in Lincolnshire.
The findings precede the imminent completion of new, energy efficient business space in the city at The Forum, which features innovations like its carbon-capturing green wall, boosting efficiency by helping to cool the building in the summer; and plans for the multi-million-pound Greyfriars Quarter progressing, which includes retail, leisure and co-working space.
The wide-ranging study which also looked at things like GDP, business survival rates and transport links, also found that Gloucester has a high employment rate of 88.2 per cent, with 22.1 per cent of inhabitants having level 4 qualifications or higher.
