Agenda item

Supporting papers include the LLEP Economic Growth Plan 2012 – 2020.

Mr Andrew Bacon, Chair of LLEP (Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership) and Mr Mandip Rai, Head of LLEP were welcomed to the meeting.

Mr Rai gave a presentation on the Economic Growth Plan, copies of which had been circulated to Commission members.

The presentation included the background to LLEP and it was noted that LEPs had been introduced by Government through the Localism Act and that the LLEP was one of 39 national LEPs formally recognised by the Government.

The Commission were informed of the partnership roles between business, local authorities, higher education and further education.  And the role of the LEP to lead economic growth was highlighted.  It was noted that this was achieved by engaging with business, local authorities, and the voluntary sector with a view to influencing Government economic policy including national contracts and facilitating local partnership working and relations with Government.  The investing of LLEP funding and aligning partner resources to achieve economic growth was discussed and the Commission were informed of the following key achievements

•         Significant private sector engagement (7,000 businesses)

•         Successful EZ bid for MIRA Technology Park

•         £25m RGF secured through Rounds 1 & 2

•         £8m RGF Round 3 – SME Support Programme

•         Growing Places Fund - £13.4m

•         Pinch Point Programme funding Tranche 1 and 2  (M1 / A50)

•         Asset Assisted Purchase Scheme - £5.5m lending and 75 direct jobs

•         LEP Start Up, Capacity Fund, Core Funding and GTF

•         Better Business for All (BBfA) - national pilot

•         Higher Apprenticeship Fund – 140 apprenticeships

•         UK Skills Show – over 2,500 visitors

•         Inward Investment – Open for Business / UKTI / MIPIM 2013

Mr Rai drew the Commission’s attention to the importance of joint working and referred to a venn diagram showing the links between City, District and County leadership with private sector leadership.  In this regard the area based priorities, sector based priorities and LLEP priorities were described and the requirement for a co-ordinated approach was highlighted.

In respect of the future ambition of the LLEP it was reported that by 2020 it was envisaged that 25,000 private sector jobs would be created, £2b of private sector investment would be secured and the GVA would be increased by £4b to £23b.

The strategic objectives to match skills supply with demand, increase availability of employment land & infrastructure, promote enterprise growth and investment, and to match available capital to enterprise growth were referred to and the aims of the LLEP were listed, which described how each of these four strategic objectives would be met.

Mr Rai was thanked for his presentation and for addressing the Commission.

Mr Rai and Mr Bacon invited questions and comments from Commission members.

Commission members referred to the joint working arrangements and it was considered that a clearer understanding of the role in building partnerships was required.  The City Mayor’s Action Plan and the link to the City Deal initiative was referred to as examples of the need for such greater clarity, it being noted that the method and process for feeding in information, initiatives and ideas to the work of the LLEP were not always clear, particularly relating to property and land negotiations.

The requirement to develop intelligence around skills was highlighted as a principle area of work by Commission members and the LLEP were encouraged to increase their work in developing this area of their strategy.  Having regard to the design skills sector it was reported that there had been a significant increase in design and manufacturing opportunities and the Commission welcomed the LLEP’s approach in this area.

Having regard to the equal working opportunity statements within the Growth Plan, the Commission referred to the omission of women workers and further to the engagement of young people, particularly those aged 19 to 24 years who were in need of employment opportunities.  The Commission expressed a view that the support and advice for those younger people should be increased to ensure their engagement and to increase their opportunity of finding work.

The LLEP were encouraged to enhance their contact with the council in view of the opportunities to assist with achieving targets against performance indicators and to increase advocacy arrangements.  The possible link to the Leicester to Work initiative was reported and it was suggested that greater joint working could be undertaken to assist the delivery of that initiative.

The Chair thanked Mr Rai and Mr Bacon for their attendance and requested that they attend a future meeting to update the Commission on their achievements in due course.