SINCE opening in September 2001, Corsham Media Park has gone from strength to strength, becoming a unique business community in the South West.

A major deal, sealed with BT last week, looks set to push the park even further towards the forefront of digital technology in the UK.

The business park is to become one of BT's 50 eLocations in the UK, and the first to be established in the south west.

The special locations selected by BT attract businesses through the installation of a hi-tech communication system using a network of optical fibres.

Corsham Media Park was chosen by BT as an ideal location for the system because of the massive broadband facility it had acquired from its previous owners, the MoD.

BT hopes the technology it installs will attract new businesses based in the UK as well as their offshore operations to the media park.

"This will really put Corsham on the map. We are very excited about it. BT will be investing a lot of money in the telecommunication infrastructure at the park," said Jeff Thomas, the chief executive of Alkemi, which owns Corsham Media Park.

But BT eLocation is just one of many contracts that have been flooding into the park since it opened.

The £2.5million media park provides a base for companies and freelancers, working with digital technology.

Satellite science channel Einstein TV, which previously broadcast from Germany, moved its equipment into the media park earlier this month and hopes to be broadcasting to Germany and Switzerland within two months.

Channel Four's three-part drama 40, starring Eddie Izzard, screened on television last month, was produced at Corsham Media Park and location shots were filmed at nearby Rudloe Manor.

Mr Thomas said many companies were relocating to the media park from London and bringing with them high- profile television and film productions.

"It is much more economical and people want to get out of London. We offer state-of-the-art digital facilities and this year we have expanded into computer generated imagery," he said.

But Mr Thomas said the media park does not only focus on commercial ventures, it is also very involved in education and the community.

At present the park is supporting Corsham School and has given it a £50,000 grant towards the expansion of visual arts.

Wiltshire College has recently opened a £120,000 Centre Of Vocational Excellence at the park where pupils are taught broadcast and digital media.

"We are involved in research and training and at the moment some of our tenants are using pupils from the college in work placements," said Mr Thomas. "We are not just a business venture, education is key for us."

He said the park would also like to get more involved with the local community and hopes they will benefit from the second phase of the Bath Studio development.

Phase one of Bath Studios was opened last June and included production studio space and CGI facilities.

But a planning application has now been put in for the second phase that will include 25,000sq ft of sound stage space and 40,000sq ft of office space.

The plans also include a small cinema for preview screenings.

There are currently 105 people working at the park but it is expected to increase to 400 over the next two to three years.

"As we create more jobs, we hope to also increase the amount of local employment," said Mr Thomas.

Alkemi's future project is to develop the site next to Corsham Media Park into another business park in five years' time.

Win five-week media course

The Gazette and Herald is delighted to offer its readers the opportunity to win a free place on one of the specialist courses being launched at the interactive media centre at Corsham Media Park, this month.

One Gazette reader could win a free five-week evening course that would normally cost £125.

The courses are aimed at developing existing skills at the high end of website design, digital animation and video post-production.

The training will take place at state-of-the-art offices using the latest versions of industrial standard software.

To be in with a chance of winning a place on one of the available courses simply answer these questions:

A. What does COVE stand for?

B. Where is the interactive media centre?

C. What does HTML stand for?

You can either e-mail your answer and details to gazettecompetitions@newswilts.co.uk stating Corsham Media Park competition in the subject header, or send it to Corsham Media Park competition, Gazette and Herald, 14 Market Place, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 1HT by May 22 2003.