Public sector
With 155,900 employees working in Public Administration, Defence Services, Education and Health & Social Work, the West of England is home to a large number of public sector organisations. In addition to the services provided by the four local authorities (Bath & North East Somerset, City of Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire), a wide range of major Government and Public Sector bodies are located in the area, including:
- The Ministry of Defence – Defence Equipment and Support
- The BBC, including the world renowned Natural History Unit
- The Environment Agency
- The Higher Education Funding Council (HEFCE)
- The Audit Commission
- The Planning Inspectorate
- Ofsted
- The National Blood Service
- The UK Transplant Authority
- HM Revenue & Customs
- Four universities (University of Bristol, University of the West of England, University of Bath and Bath Spa University)
- Arts & Humanities Research Council
- The Government Office for the South West
- The South West of England Regional Development Agency
- English Heritage
The area also benefits from a thriving social economy sector whose activities and services range from housing and property management, cultural activities, sport, manufacturing, care services and arts. Sustrans and the Soil Association are some of the leading community sector organisations based in the area.
Benefiting from a skilled workforce and rapid links to London and other major UK centres, the West of England is an ideal location for public sector bodies seeking to relocate from London.
