York Local Enterprise Partnership Growing

The new local enterprise partnerships for York and North Yorkshire and Enterprise M3 were approved today by Minister for Business, Mark Prisk and Decentralisation Minister, Greg Clark.

They join the 28 partnerships formed since the Government’s Local Growth White Paper was published in October last year.

Ministers believe this shows clearly the local enthusiasm for partnerships and a real ambition to renew growth from the ground up. The thirty local enterprise partnerships now cover over seventy per cent of England's population - 1.4m businesses and 16m employees.

Local enterprise partnerships bring together local business and civic leaders, working to support their local economy. They will operate within a geography that reflects natural economic areas and will provide the vision, knowledge and strategic leadership needed to drive sustainable private sector growth and job creation in their area.

York and North Yorkshire aims to secure investment for next generation broadband, promote enterprise and support its important tourist economy and food and agricultural sectors.

Enterprise M3 - covering parts of Hampshire and Surrey - has a population of 1m and £25 billion economic area built around IT, financial services and R&D. It aims to continue its sustainable economic growth, attracting, retaining and creating businesses locally improving skills, broadband coverage and transport links.

Mark Prisk said: “I am pleased that we are able to ask another two local enterprise partnerships to appoint their boards. The partnerships have an important role to play in driving local economic growth and creating a strong environment for business.

“We are continuing to assess proposals for further partnerships across England, so that soon more local communities will benefit from the knowledge and expertise of the private sector and the opportunities that growth brings.”

(BMcN/GK)