Boris Johnson has welcomed industrial development in Uxbridge , completed in a bid to attract jobs to the area.

The Uxbridge and South Ruislip MP was hosted by SEGRO, an industrial property developer, Premier Inn and Beefeater to officially open the new fully-let development at 500 Riverside Way, on Monday, February 29.

SEGRO announced signing of the speculatively built 27,243 sq. ft. light industrial unit to Steljes, a leading distributor of interactive technology products.

The lease is for 10 years and the company will use the unit for storage, distribution, sales and servicing. A new business to the area, the signing signifies further inward investment to Hillingdon .

As well as the industrial element, the development includes a 38,500 sq ft 80-bed Premier Inn Hotel and a Beefeater Grill restaurant, built for Whitbread, bolstering the amenities on offer to the local community and businesses around Uxbridge.

Helping local residents into work

Boris said: "I am very much aware of the work of Hillingdon Council in attracting quality businesses to the local area with job opportunities for local people.

"I have seen first-hand at Uxbridge College how working with developers, like SEGRO, on local projects is helping with skills training and I am delighted to have the opportunity to meet with all the partners involved in this initiative."

SEGRO has built and let over 120,000sqft in Hillingdon in the last 18 months and worked with Hillingdon Borough Council and Uxbridge College to deliver an employment and skills programme that has helped local residents into work.

Andy Gulliford, chief operating officer at SEGRO, said: "Riverside Way is a great example of how working together with our partners can deliver for the local business and community.

"As well as developing and leasing modern sustainable buildings that attract inward investment to the borough, we are proud to have played a part in creating employment opportunities for local people.

"Going forward, our strategy is to continue to provide high quality space for industrial occupiers in Hillingdon and throughout London to enable businesses to thrive and we look forward to developing our partnerships further."

Beefeater and Premier Inn host the London Mayor

Jobs and apprenticeships for Uxbridge

The employment initiative was formed between SEGRO, Hillingdon Borough Council, Uxbridge College, Job Centre Plus and Whitbread with the aim to provide training for unemployed local residents in catering, hospitality, business administration and customer services, ultimately providing a sustainable workforce for the hotel and restaurant operator.

Paul Flaum, managing director of Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, said: "We're hugely excited to be bringing both a Premier Inn hotel and a Beefeater to Uxbridge, giving guests the fantastic opportunity to enjoy a great night's sleep as well as the fantastic steak we're famous for at our restaurant.

"Across both Premier Inn and Beefeater we've recruited 68 new passionate and knowledgeable team members. It's great to welcome our local MP Boris Johnson along today to witness some of our team in action and to see first-hand the commitment we have to job generation in this area across both brands."

During the course of construction, SEGRO and McLaren Construction, the site contractor delivered 57 construction apprenticeship weeks, 10 weeks of work experience and 33 weeks of local resident employment on site.

The teams also spent time with local educational organisations, including Uxbridge College, Haydon, Barn Hill and Bishop Ramsey Schools.

The completion of the site took 36 months, from initial conversations to new customers moving in, which SEGRO say is a prime example of successful collaborative working between the private and public sectors.