Vince Cable MP announces the Local Enterprise Partnerships
Liberal Democrat Councillors in Northamptonshire are celebrating a government decision this afternoon to back their plans for a South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP), covering Northamptonshire, Milton Keynes and parts of Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Oxfordshire.
Scott Collins, Lib Dem Spokesperson for South Northamptonshire said “This is a victory for common sense across the County and helps put Northamptonshire firmly in the mix for strong government support. For too long Northamptonshire has been pushed to the fringes of these agencies and as such ignored. This Partnership means for the first time in years Northamptonshire is in a sensible and common sense situation joining together with Bedford and Milton Keynes meaning we are part of a real economic force in the South Midlands in the future”
The LEPs replace Labour’s Regional Development Agencies, giving business a bigger voice in the allocation of regional growth funds.
After months of wrangling between Lib Dem-run Northampton Borough Council and Conservative-run Northamptonshire County Council, who favoured a county-only Crossroads of England proposal, the Coalition confirmed they would be backing the South East Midlands partnership.
Responding to the news, Leader of Northampton Borough Council, Cllr. Brian Hoare, said:
“This is good news for growth and good news for jobs in Northamptonshire.
“A South East Midlands partnership makes good use of our strategic location between London and Birmingham, and Oxford and Cambridge, and reflects existing economic and business links to the South of the town.
“Liberal Democrat colleagues and I want Northamptonshire to really punch its weight in the UK by leveraging our advantage in growth areas like engineering, construction and the creative arts and developing new expertise in cognate industries like green energy and logistics.
He was backed by Opposition Leader on Northamptonshire County Council, Cllr. Brendan Glynane, who added:
“Northamptonshire has been poorly served as part of the East Midlands. Our public and private sectors have been consistently overlooked for inward investment over the years.
“This is set to change. A Northamptonshire at the heart of the South East Midlands has the potential to be one of the UK‘s premier places to invest in the coming years.”
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