Local Enterprise Partnerships

David Wright Advisor, LG National Sustainable Commissioning and Procurement Programme

Current SPP-relevant landscape

• • • • • • • • Local Strategic Partnerships Local and ‘Multi’ Area Agreements (LAA and MAA) Sub Regional Economic Partnerships Regional Improvement & Efficiency Partnerships (RIEPs) ‘Regional’ Procurement Hubs & Consortia Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) Government Offices (GOs) Homes and Communities Agency (HCA)

Chronology

• • • • • • • • • • Spring 2010 - Queens Speech 29 June 2010 - Letters to Council Leaders and Business Leaders 6 Sept 2010 - Submissions due 28 Oct 2010 - 56 submissions, 24 approvals – now 28 4 Nov 2010 – Regional Growth Bill announced - “RDAs’ assets will not be 'handed' to LEPs” but £1.4bn Regional Growth fund (RGF) 4 Nov 2010 – 1 st (of 3 rounds) RGF bids invitation (£1m minimum) 6 Jan 2011 - LEP Capacity Fund announced (£4m over 4 years) 21 Jan 2011 – RGF Submissions due 31 Mar 2011 – RIEPs formally ‘cease’ Spring 2011 – LEP Summit, more LEP details

LEP Invitation from DBIS and CLG

• • • • • • • To Local Authority Leaders and Business Leaders to work with the Government to help strengthen local economies. reforming system of sub-national economic development enabling councils and business to replace the existing RDAs. working with RDAs to enable this transition. Regional Growth White Paper will review all the functions of the RDAs. – some best led nationally, such as inward investment, sector leadership, responsibility for business support, innovation, and access to finance, such as venture capital funds. – Some existing roles being scrapped eg Regional Strategies. Separate arrangements will apply in London orderly transition from the existing RDAs, working to a clear timetable.

LEP Purpose

• • • • • • •

Role

Provide the strategic leadership in their areas to set out local economic priorities. A clear vision is vital if local economic renewal is to be achieved. LEPs central to the vision of rebalancing the economy towards the private sector. Create the right environment for business and growth in their areas, by tackling issues such as planning and housing, local transport and infrastructure priorities, employment and enterprise and the transition to the low carbon economy. Important to support small business start-ups. Work closely with universities and further education colleges, in view of their importance to local economies, and with other relevant stakeholders. In some areas, tourism will also be an important economic driver. • • •

Governance

Vital that business and civic leaders work together. Equal representation on the boards of these partnerships and that a prominent business leader should chair the board (but will consider variants from this eg elected mayor Robust, clear governance structures to ensure proper accountability for delivery • •

Size

reflect functional economic and travel to work areas welcome proposals that reflect the needs of every part of England, not least areas that are economically more vulnerable.

Local Growth White Paper - Key Points

• • •

LEPS

Not defined in legislation; no dedicated funding; no preferential treatment in bids for Regional Growth Fund Councils can pool schemes such as New Homes Bonus and possibly the localised business rates across LEPs to “maximise potential benefits” Only “largest” to have role in inward investment and innovation • • •

RDA contracts, assets and liabilities

DBIS will take on the “disposal” of business and technology related assets, with DCLG taking on “disposal” of land and property Disposal will balance deficit reduction with national policy aims and local ambitions - no automatic presumption in favour of disposal to councils or LEPs RDAs expected to exit from existing contracts using break clauses or though renegotiation • • •

Regional Growth Fund

No public sector-only bids; minimum bid set out £1m but this could comprise package of smaller schemes twin objectives of stimulating enterprise in areas with significant potential for economic growth and supporting those struggling areas that are overly dependent on the public sector Three rounds of bidding, first round open immediately and closes on 21 January

Business rates Planning European funding New Homes Bonus

Approved LEPs – as at 13 Jan 2011

1. Cumbria 2. Tees Valley 3. Leeds City Region 4. Liverpool City Region 5. Greater Manchester 6. Cheshire & Warrington 7. Sheffield City Region 8. Lincolnshire 9. Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Derby & Derbyshire 10. Greater Birmingham 11. Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire 12. The Marches 13. The Black Country 14. Thames Valley Berkshire 15. Coventry & Warwickshire 16. Worcestershire 17. Leicester & Leicestershire 18. South East Midlands 19. Greater Cambridge & Greater Peterborough 20. New Anglia 21. Kent, Essex & East Sussex 22. Hertfordshire 23. Oxfordshire City Region 24. Coast to Capital 25. Solent 26. West of England 27. Cornwall & Isle of Scilly 28. North East