Information

Company

Northumberland County Council

Position

Head of Economic Growth

Company Type

Public Sector

Bio

John Hildreth is Head of Business Northumberland – the business support service for Northumberland County Council. John leads programmes designed to help companies grow through investment, innovation, and skills development as well as leading on initiatives to drive inward investment into Northumberland.

With more than 20 years of experience in economic growth and regeneration, he has worked across key sectors including digital, advanced manufacturing, offshore renewable energy and electrification.

John was pivotal in the creation of Energy Central, Northumberland’s renewable energy cluster centred around Port of Blyth. Created in 2017, Energy Central promotes south-east Northumberland as an investment location for major-clean energy projects due to its knowledge, expertise and over 25 years of experience in offshore wind. His work has helped secure significant investments such as JDR Cable Systems’ £130m facility, bringing over 170 high‑skilled jobs to the area, and supporting the creation of the Energy Central Campus to connect residents and learners from across the North East with low‑carbon career pathways.

He played a critical role in securing Blyth Energy Central, the North East Investment Zone site offering large scale investment opportunities to companies seeking growth opportunities in a highly connected UK location.

John’s focus is on business growth, regeneration, inward investment, and sector development, working closely with partners to ensure Northumberland continues to attract significant investment and opportunities for businesses throughout the county.

In his spare time, John passionately supports Newcastle United Football Club and enjoys running, having completed the famous Great North Run half-marathon.

Sectors of interest

Commercial and Offices;Data Centre;Frameworks;Garden Cities;High Streets;Hospitality & Hotels;Industrial;Infrastructure Digital;Infrastructure Rail;Infrastructure Roads;Infrastructure Utilities;Leisure;Life Science;Logistics;Property;Real Estate;Renewable Energy;Residential;Retail;Science Parks;Social Affordable Housing;Social Value and Social Impact;Sustainability and Net Zero;Transport