M4 corridor

Last updated

The M4 corridor is an area in the United Kingdom adjacent to the M4 motorway, which runs from London to South Wales. [1] It is a major hi-tech hub. [2] [3] Important cities and towns linked by the M4 include (from east to west) London, Slough, Bracknell, Maidenhead, Reading, Newbury, Swindon, Bath, Bristol, Newport, Cardiff, Port Talbot and Swansea. The area is also served by the Great Western Main Line, the South Wales Main Line, and London Heathrow Airport. [4] Technology companies with major operations in the area include Adobe, Amazon, Citrix Systems, Dell, Huawei, Lexmark, LG, Microsoft, Novell, Nvidia, O2, Oracle, Panasonic, SAP, and Symantec.

Contents

England

Reading International Business Park. This crescent of offices beside the A33 are home to Verizon, a telecommunications company. They were formerly the European headquarters of WorldCom before its demise Reading International Business Park - geograph.org.uk - 182264.jpg
Reading International Business Park. This crescent of offices beside the A33 are home to Verizon, a telecommunications company. They were formerly the European headquarters of WorldCom before its demise

The east end of the English M4 corridor is home to a large number of technology companies, particularly in Berkshire, Swindon and the Thames Valley. [5] For this reason this part of the M4 corridor is sometimes described as England's "Silicon Valley". [1] Slough, Windsor, Maidenhead, Reading, Bracknell and Newbury are the main towns in the Berkshire stretch of the M4.

Reading is home to many information technology and financial services businesses, including Cisco, Microsoft, [6] ING Direct, [7] Oracle, [8] Prudential, [9] Yell Group [10] and Ericsson. [11] Vodafone has a major corporate campus in Newbury, [12] O2 plc is in Slough. [13] Maidenhead is the home of Hutchison 3G UK's headquarters [14] and Tesla Motors' UK head office. [15]

Investment has gradually spread westwards since the 1980s. [16] In the west, the interchange of the M4 and M5 motorways north of Bristol had seen considerable growth of industries by the mid 1990s. [17]

Wales

The Second Severn Crossing carries the M4 motorway between England and Wales New severn bridge best 750pix.jpg
The Second Severn Crossing carries the M4 motorway between England and Wales
The Digital Technium at Swansea University Digital Technium Swansea University.jpg
The Digital Technium at Swansea University

The major Welsh towns and cities along the M4 corridor are Bridgend, Cardiff, Llanelli, Neath, Newport, Port Talbot and Swansea. South Wales is an industrial heartland of the UK. [18]

The 1980s and 1990s saw the development of the Swansea Enterprise Park. [19] The Celtic Manor Resort, adjacent to the M4 in Newport, has received significant investment [20] and hosted the 2010 Ryder Cup. [21] Newport has seen significant growth in the electronics industry since the late 1980s. [22] [23] The 1990s saw significant investment in Cardiff, such as in Cardiff Gate and the Cardiff Bay area. [24] One site of note on the M4 corridor is Port Talbot Steelworks – the largest steel producer in the UK and one of the biggest in Europe. [25]

The opening of the Second Severn Crossing in 1996 resulted in the previous M4 and bridge, serving Chepstow, being renumbered the M48, although the area is still generally considered as falling within the M4 corridor. [26] [27]

Since the start of the 21st century there has been evidence of more investment west of Cardiff, such as:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port Talbot</span> Town and community in Wales

Port Talbot is a town and community in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, situated on the east side of Swansea Bay, approximately eight miles from Swansea. The Port Talbot Steelworks covers a large area of land which dominates the south east of the town. It is one of the biggest steelworks in the world, but has been under threat of closure since the 1980s. The population was 31,550 in 2021, comprising about a fifth of the 141,931 population of Neath Port Talbot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M4 motorway</span> Major motorway in England and Wales

The M4, originally the London-South Wales Motorway, is a motorway in the United Kingdom running from west London to southwest Wales. The English section to the Severn Bridge was constructed between 1961 and 1971; the Welsh element was largely complete by 1980, though a non-motorway section around Briton Ferry bridge remained until 1993. On the opening of the Second Severn Crossing in 1996, the M4 was rerouted over it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neath Port Talbot</span> County borough in Wales

Neath Port Talbot is a county borough in the south-west of Wales. Its principal towns are Neath, Port Talbot, Briton Ferry and Pontardawe. The county borough borders Bridgend County Borough and Rhondda Cynon Taf to the east, Powys and Carmarthenshire to the north; and Swansea to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A48 road</span> Trunk road in Great Britain

The A48 is a trunk road in Great Britain running from the A40 at Highnam, 3 miles (4.8 km) west of Gloucester, England, to the A40 at Carmarthen, Wales. Before the Severn Bridge opened on 8 September 1966, it was a major route between England and South Wales. For most of its route, it runs almost parallel to the M4 motorway. During times of high winds at the Severn Bridge, the A48 is used as part of the diversion route and is still marked as a Holiday Route.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Briton Ferry</span> Human settlement in Wales

Briton Ferry is a town and community in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales. The Welsh name may indicate that the church, llan, is protected from the wind, awel. Alternatively, Sawel may be a derivative of Saul, St Paul's earlier name. He once landed at Briton Ferry. An alternative Welsh name unused today is Rhyd y Brython, a direct translation of Briton Ferry. The Normans referred to the River crossing as La Brittonne and Leland in 1540 as Britanne Fery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European route E30</span> Road in trans-European E-road network

European route E30 is an A-Class European route from the port of Cork in Ireland in the west to the Russian city of Omsk, near the border with Kazakhstan in the east. For much of the Russian stretch, it follows the Trans-Siberian Highway and, east of the Ural Mountains, with AH6 of the Asian Highway Network, which continues to Busan, South Korea. The total length is 6,530 km (4,060 mi)—3,300 km (2,100 mi) from Cork to Moscow, and 3,230 km (2,010 mi) from Moscow to Omsk. The naming is by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Wales</span> Region of Wales

South Wales is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards to include Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. In the western extent, from Swansea westwards, local people would probably recognise that they lived in both south Wales and west Wales. The Brecon Beacons National Park covers about a third of south Wales, containing Pen y Fan, the highest British mountain south of Cadair Idris in Snowdonia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Wales</span> Overview of the transportation system in Wales

Transport in Wales is heavily influenced by the country's geography. Wales is predominantly hilly or mountainous, and the main settlements lie on the coasts of north and south Wales, while mid Wales and west Wales are lightly populated. The main transport corridors are east–west routes, many continuing eastwards into England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baglan railway station</span> Railway station in Neath Port Talbot, Wales

Baglan railway station is a minor station in the village of Baglan in Neath Port Talbot county borough, south Wales. It is 204 miles 53 chains (329.4 km) from the zero point at London Paddington, measured via Stroud. It is a stop on the South Wales Main Line, served by Transport for Wales Swanline regional trains between Swansea and Cardiff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia</span> Catholic diocese in Wales

The Diocese of Menevia is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Wales. It is one of two suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of Cardiff and is subject to the Archdiocese of Cardiff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Cymru</span> Local bus operator in Swansea and South Wales

First Cymru is an operator of bus services in South West Wales. It is a subsidiary of FirstGroup with its headquarters in Swansea.

Crymlyn Burrows is an area of land in Wales, UK to the east of Swansea city centre, and south of Crymlyn Bog. It is bounded by Jersey Marine Beach to the south and the River Neath to the east. The land west of Baldwin's Crescent falls within the City and County of Swansea and from Baldwin's Crescent eastwards falls within Neath Port Talbot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A4241 road</span> Distributor road in Port Talbot

The A4241 Port Talbot Peripheral Distributor Road is a distributor road serving Port Talbot, Wales.

The Swansea Bay area of Wales is located north of the sea area of Swansea Bay. The term Swansea Bay is used by the Welsh Government for policy planning purposes as well as by a number of other organisations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chad Bond</span> Welsh footballer

Chad Bond is a Welsh footballer. He is a former Wales under-19 international and has also represented his country at semi-professional level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Great Western Main Line upgrade</span> Major electrification project by Network Rail

In the 2010s Network Rail modernised the Great Western Main Line, the South Wales Main Line, and other associated lines. The modernisation plans were announced at separate times but their implementation overlapped in the 2010s.

Rhys Griffiths is a Welsh footballer and current manager of Cymru Premier side Penybont.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swansea Bay and West Wales Metro</span> Transport project in Wales

The Swansea Bay and West Wales Metro, or simply the Swansea Bay Metro is a proposed enhancement of railways, buses and active travel around the Swansea Bay and South West Wales areas of South Wales.The project could take up to 10 years to complete.

The 2021–22 Welsh League Cup was the 30th season of the Welsh League cup competition, which was established in 1992. The reigning champions were Connah's Quay Nomads.

References

  1. 1 2 Rowley, Trevor (2006). The English Landscape in the Twentieth Century. Continuum International Publishing Group. p. 47. ISBN   9781852853884 . Retrieved 12 March 2012.
  2. ↑ Norfolk Council economic report
  3. ↑ "Tech Map of Britain: M4 corridor". The Telegraph. 3 November 2010. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  4. ↑ "Britain's science corridor". The New York Times. 24 April 1983. Retrieved 7 November 2010.
  5. ↑ Technology Companies (3 November 2010). "Tech Map of Britain: M4 corridor". The Telegraph. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  6. ↑ "Microsoft UK Headquarters, Reading". Microsoft.com. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  7. ↑ "ING Direct UK HQ". Ingdirect.co.uk. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  8. ↑ "Oracle UK HQ". Oracle.com. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  9. ↑ "Prudential UK locations". Pru.co.uk. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  10. ↑ "Yell Group HQ". Yellgroup.com. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  11. ↑ "Ericsson UK Sites". Ericsson.com. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  12. ↑ "BBC Vodafone moves world HQ to London". BBC News. 24 June 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  13. ↑ "Flexible Working Pilot for O2 Head Office". Business Interiors. 10 February 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  14. ↑ "Hutchison 3G office locations". Three.co.uk. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  15. ↑ "Contact Tesla Motors". teslamotors.com. Retrieved 13 March 2014.
  16. ↑ "OHRU Thames Valley to Silicon Valley and the M4 Corridor". Histru.bournemouth.ac.uk. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  17. ↑ "Bristol Economic Assessment March 2011" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 November 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  18. ↑ "History Learning Site - Wales and devolution". BBC. 11 January 2011. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  19. ↑ "Swansea Council - Business". Government of the United Kingdom. 12 June 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  20. ↑ "Celtic Manor Resort - History". Celtic-manor.com. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  21. ↑ "2010 Ryder Cup - Europe". Rydercup.com. Archived from the original on 11 December 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  22. ↑ "Draft" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 May 2006. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  23. ↑ "Workers hope as billionaire sells firm". BBC News. 23 February 2000. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  24. ↑ "Bay investment is 'obscene' says MP". BBC News. 20 April 2000. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  25. ↑ "WAG News 2005 - Port Talbot's new £80m Steel Caster officially opens". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 7 July 2013.[ permanent dead link ]
  26. ↑ "Creating Media". 12 May 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  27. ↑ "Capital Wales". Investinsouthwales.com. Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  28. ↑ "Neath Port Talbot council investing in Aberavon Beach". BBC. 7 March 2012. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  29. ↑ "Baglan Energy Park". NPT. 10 November 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  30. ↑ metrowebukmetro (29 March 2007). "Amazon to create hundreds of jobs". Metro. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  31. 1 2 "History". Swansea Docks. 9 October 1937. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  32. 1 2 "CCS - Development". Swansea.devplan.org.uk. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  33. ↑ "Llanelli Gate". Llanelli Gate. Archived from the original on 8 June 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  34. 1 2 3 4 "Carmarthenshire Council - Strategic Sites". Government of the United Kingdom. 9 December 2008. Archived from the original on 9 May 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  35. ↑ "Llanelli Waterside". Llanelli Waterside. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 7 July 2013.
  36. ↑ "New Wales racecourse goes flat out". News Wales. 13 July 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2013.

51°30′N1°30′W / 51.5°N 1.5°W / 51.5; -1.5

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.