Member Article

Government’s Growth Deals to brings jobs, homes and investment across North West

The government has announced how the North West is set to benefit from the roll-out of its Growth Deal programme aimed at assisting development, supporting home building and other key projects, boosting employment and securing investment.

Across the region as whole, just over £1.1 billion is set to be invested. Cumbria will receive £26.8million, Lancashire is to get £233.9 million, Greater Manchester £476.7 million, Cheshire and Warrington £142.7 million and the Liverpool City Region £232.3m

In each case, an initial sum has been confirmed.

In Cumbria, £9.1million has been allocated for the first year, with an indicative award to the Cumbria LEP of a further £17.7million of funding from 2016/17 onwards. The projects which start in 2015/16 will help to create up to 1,500 jobs, allow up to 3,000 homes to be built and generate up to £50 million in public and private investment.

The key features for Cumbria are:

• An Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centre at Furness College to equip Cumbrians with the skills to take up the expanding opportunities at BAe and within the supply chain for major manufacturers.

• A package of measures to optimise connectivity within Cumbria, particularly improving public transport links between Kendal and Keswick.

• Improved access to South Ulverston to support the expansion of GlaxoSmithKline and housing development.

• Access improvements to the Durranhill Industrial Estate in Carlisle to enable business expansion and the revitalising of this enterprise asset.

The Growth Deals in the North West are part of a £12 billion long-term programme that the government hopes will revitalise local economies.

Local businesses and council leaders have been invited to open discussions immediately on the next set of projects to be funded.

The Prime Minister said: “Growth Deals are a crucial part of our long-term plan to secure Britain’s future.

“For too long our economy has been too London-focused and too centralised. Growth Deals will help change all that. They are about firing up our great towns and cities, boosting local economies and driving growth across the country.

“By trusting local people, backing business and investing in infrastructure, skills and housing, we can create thousands of new jobs. And that means more economic security, peace of mind and a brighter future for hardworking people in the region”.

In Lancashire, £233.9million will be invested, with £84.2million confirmed in the first year. The Lancashire Enterprise Partnership will receive an ‘indicative award’ of a further £149.6million of funding from 2016/17 onwards. The government says the deal will help to create up to 5,000 jobs, allow more than 6,000 homes to be built and generate up to £140 million in public and private investment.

The key features in Lancashire are:

• Releasing Growth Potential – through essential transport improvements to motorway junctions and railway lines as well as building new roads which support job creation and enable the release of more land for homes and businesses

• Supporting the renewal and growth of Blackpool – through a range of projects totalling over £9m which collectively aim to boost the visitor economy, improve housing standards in the private rented sector, including through a £26m loan. We are also exploring through two pilots how key services can be made more efficient and effective at supporting people back into work

• Growing the local skills and business base - with a £10m 2015/16 skills allocation, which includes £6.2m for the development Blackpool and Fylde College facilities in preparation for a new Energy HQ which, and £400k revenue to support Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub.

The Deputy Prime Minister said: “The Lancashire Growth Deal will create thousands of jobs, provide incredible new training opportunities for young people, build of new homes and improve transport links across the region for people and their families; building a stronger economy and a fairer society.

“We’re placing the power and money in the hands of people in Lancashire who know how to spend it best, making a real difference to local communities.”

Edwin Booth, Chair of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership said: “This is a significant announcement for Lancashire and builds on the LEP’s work creating the right environment for businesses to thrive.

“The Growth Deal will establish a new 6-year investment package worth over £360m with the potential to create more than 4,000 new jobs in Lancashire over the coming years. This is great news for residents and businesses in Lancashire. As the Chair of the LEP, I look forward to working with local partners and Government to deliver our ambitious plans to grow Lancashire’s economy”.

In Greater Manchester, £476.7million is to be invested. £169.7million has been confirmed in the first year, and a further £307million of funding from 2016/17 onwards. The projects which start in 2015/16 will help to create 5,000 jobs, support over 75,000 people learning new skills and generate up to £80million in public and private investment.

The key features across Greater Manchester:

• Major investment in public transport and roads, including 12 new Metrolink trams, a new Quality Bus Network Route 8 from Bolton to Manchester, new transport interchanges in Ashton & Stockport Town Centres

• Securing Greater Manchester and the North West’s place as a major centre for Life Science in the country with a new fund to be spent locally developing the industry.

• Reforming public services so that vulnerable people are provided with targeted employment support and Greater Manchester Leaders have more control over how the ASB is spent in the city region

Mike Blackburn, chair of Greater Manchester LEP, said: “This is a welcome boost for Greater Manchester with the secured funding enabling delivery of a range of projects that will keep our strategic aims firmly in sight.

“We particularly welcome the superb news that all current major transport schemes are now secured in terms of present funding requirements, bringing huge improvements to transport connectivity within Greater Manchester and beyond.

“We are also delighted that Government is supporting the establishment of a joint Greater Manchester and Cheshire Life Sciences Fund to support the growth of life sciences businesses in Cheshire and Greater Manchester, and recognises the significant strengths of the North West in this field and the assets to be exploited.

“Beyond the many other fiscal elements of this deal there are also a series of commitments that will ensure our business community is in future, better connected to relevant government departments and bodies such as the Technology Strategy Board and UK Trade and Investment. Whilst it is perhaps a finer detail, this should help to open up better routes for improved development in the coming years.”

Sir Richard Leese, vice chair of Greater Manchester Combined Authority and spokesman on growth, said: “There are many welcome elements for business and economic growth in Greater Manchester in this deal.

“But it should be remembered this isn’t just a growth deal, it’s a growth and reform deal. Our vision for Manchester is that growth and the reform of public services, increasing people’s independence while reducing demand and costs, go hand-in-hand. Together we believe these two strands can make Greater Manchester self-sufficient and neutral to the public purse.

“This deal is more than a funding settlement. It also contains a series of government commitments to work with Greater Manchester to trial a series of programmes to reform the way that public services are delivered. In short, it’s the first step in a process that seeks to establish a new relationship with government”.

In Cheshire and Warrington, the Local Enterprise Partnership will see £142.7million invested. £20.1million has been confirmed in the first year, and a further £122.6million of funding from 2016/17 onwards. The projects which start in 2015/16 will help to create up 9,000 jobs, allow up to 500 homes to be built, and generate up to £50million in public and private investment.

The key features in Cheshire and Warrington:

• Enabling housing and employment sites

• Supporting the expansion of science & innovation

• Growing the local skills and business base

Christine Gaskell, Chair of the Cheshire & Warrington LEP said: “We are delighted with the news and welcome this multi-million pound investment into the economy of Cheshire and Warrington.

“We have worked hard with our partners to present a strong case for this injection of funding into the sub-region and this allocation will provide the platform we need to put our Growth Plan into practice.

It is now our responsibility to work with all our stakeholders to deliver our plan and transform our economy providing more jobs, more housing and a better skilled workforce for Cheshire and Warrington.“

Cllr Mike Jones, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council said: “I am delighted that the Government has seen the fantastic facilities and opportunities available at Thornton Science Park. Our partners in the University of Chester are transforming this site into a national centre of excellence for engineering which will provide hundreds of high quality jobs and the development of new engineering businesses.”

Cllr Michael Jones, Leader of Cheshire East Council said: “This funding will enable us to develop our strategic science assets, reinforcing our integral role in the Northern Powerhouse. And the investment in transport infrastructure will open up new sites for homes and employment space.

“We also look forward to working with Government to maximise the economic potential of HS2 when the route is announced.”

Cllr Terry O’Neill, Leader of Warrington Borough Council said: “This funding recognises the key role that the Cheshire and Warrington LEP will play in maximising the growth impact of the Atlantic Gateway. This will allow investment in critical infrastructure to open up new sites to meet the growing demand for homes and employment space.

“We look forward to working with our partners in Manchester and Liverpool on this exciting initiative”.

The Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership will see £232.3million invested in the area, with £45.7million of funding confirmed in the first year, and a further 186.5million from 2016/17 onwards.

The deal aims to help the creation of up to 15,000 jobs, allow up to 16,000 homes to be built and to generate up to £30 million in public and private investment.

The key features for the City Region are:

• Over £50m of investment in key transport connections into and within Liverpool City Centre, revitalising the north of the city and better connecting Liverpool’s iconic waterfront to the city centre;

• A £47.7m package of improvements for six colleges – equipment and facilities improved at six city region colleges to ensure that young people are properly trained for the jobs of tomorrow

• A reshaped Liverpool Skills for Growth Bank – £4.64m from Government to co-invest in a reshaped Liverpool Skills for Growth Bank which will support employers who are willing to invest in training to source high quality training provision and to grow the skills base in the city region, building on this successful City Deal programme.

• Committing to a second International Festival of Business in 2016.

Robert Hough, Chair of Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership said: “I am delighted by the news from Government. Both the public and the private sectors identified what investment was needed for the City Region to accelerate economic growth and create new jobs.

“The £230million awarded to us will not only create jobs and stimulate the economy in the short term, but with improved infrastructure, the City Region will be better positioned to attract investment and ensure long-term growth and prosperity.

“This announcement clearly shows that Government has recognised that our work and structures here provide the capacity to unlock the regions potential as an economic powerhouse.”

Joe Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool said: “This is great news for Liverpool and means we can build further on the recent transformation of the city centre. The £52milion commitment to these schemes will enable us to push-on with the next phase of our investment strategy. Liverpool is an international brand at the heart of the city region and a great place to live, work, do business and to visit.

“ I am delighted that we have secured bringing the International Festival of Business back to the city region for 2016 which recognises the impact that the inaugural IFB has already had in terms of businesses nationally and internationally as well as the opportunity for us to showcase what Liverpool has to offer to businesses and visitors alike.“

Cllr Phil Davies, Chair of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, said: “This announcement is great news for our City Region.

“As a City Region we have clearly demonstrated that the public sector and private sector can work together to identify priorities for investment. The announcement also shows that our governance structure as a City Region is working and that by focussing on the strategic projects within the Growth Deal we can bring widespread economic benefit to the whole Liverpool City Region.

“Working closely with the LEP, the Combined Authority will ensure the delivery of the various schemes throughout the City Region which will see us even better placed to secure further economic benefits over the years ahead. Particularly welcome the £41.1million commitment to skills funding as supporting our young people into work is a particular priority for the City Region.”

Kate Willard, Corporate Affairs Director, Stobart Group, Atlantic Gateway Board Member, and LEP Board Member said: “The Freight and Logistics Hub project is a critical component of both SuperPORT and Atlantic Gateway and will be critical to helping the wider North become an economic powerhouse.

“The investment in transport schemes throughout the City Region is essential to create jobs and growth and our overall plan is to see between 20,000 and 30,000 new jobs created over the deca

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .