# South West Regional Development Agency

South West Regional Development Agency is a Government / Public Body based in Bristol, United Kingdom.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Government / Public Body
- **Headquarters:** Bristol, United Kingdom
- **Region:** Europe
- **Address:** Bristol, United Kingdom
- **Founded:** 1999
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** http://www.southwestrda.org.uk
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/south-west-regional-development-agency

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The South West Regional Development Agency is a UK-based government agency. It manages a portfolio of approximately $188.56 million in assets, primarily focused on European regions.

## Sectors

- Real Estate
- Infrastructure
- Energy Transition & Renewables
- Industrial Tech

## People

- Sir Juliet Williams — Former Chairman
- Jonathon Porritt — Former Board Member

## Questions

### What happened to SWRDA's assets when the agency was abolished?

SWRDA's land and property holdings transferred to the Homes and Communities Agency (now Homes England) in 2011/12 as part of the Coalition government's abolition of all nine English RDAs. Technology park interests, including the National Composites Centre at Bristol & Bath Science Park, reverted to the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Cultural and community assets like the Eden Project and Watershed Arts Trust had already been vested in independent charitable structures.

### Which major physical assets did SWRDA develop or fund?

Major SWRDA-backed assets included the Bristol & Bath Science Park and its anchor tenant the National Composites Centre, the Temple Quay mixed-use development in central Bristol, the Gloucester Docks regeneration, and the Wave Hub marine energy test facility off Hayle in Cornwall. The agency also provided early-stage funding for the Eden Project in Cornwall. Several of these assets remain operational under successor ownership.

### What was Wave Hub and why did SWRDA fund it?

Wave Hub was a £42 million offshore renewable-energy test facility 10 miles off Hayle, Cornwall, designed to provide grid-connected berths for wave energy devices. SWRDA funded it as part of a strategy to position the South West as a leader in marine energy technology. The project included a 25km subsea cable and onshore substation. It was later rebranded as the Celtic Sea Power test site and remains in operation.

### Was SWRDA an investor or a grant-maker?

SWRDA was primarily a direct developer and grant-maker rather than a return-seeking investor. Its toolkit included land assembly through compulsory purchase, site remediation, infrastructure installation, and capital grants to innovation partners and cultural institutions. It occasionally took equity-like positions in regeneration joint ventures, but its core mandate was economic development, not portfolio returns.

### Who governed SWRDA's investment decisions?

A board appointed by the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills made SWRDA's major funding and development decisions. Senior board members included Chairman Sir Juliet Williams and environmental advisor Jonathon Porritt. The agency operated under a funding settlement and performance framework set by central government, with regional strategy input from bodies like the South West Science and Industry Council and the South West Observatory.

## Related profiles

- [South West Investment Group (SWIG)](https://altss.com/profile/south-west-investment-group-swig)
- [South Yorkshire Pension Fund (SYPA)](https://altss.com/profile/south-yorkshire-pension-fund-sypa)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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