REGIONAL FOCUS
C
hancellor George Osborne used the June 2010 Emergency Budget to sig-
nal the end of the Regional Development Agencies which were to be replaced by smaller Local Enterprise Partnerships. The decision had been a surprise, but just a week later local authorities and business leaders were invited to put forward their al- ternatives to RDAs. It was, by any stretch of the imagination, fast-moving politics, but many areas saw potential in the new deliv- ery vehicles and submitted proposals.
One such group of political and business leaders that wasted little time in getting their partnership off the ground represent- ed the authorities of Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Along with the local chamber of commerce and the universities of Derby, Nottingham and Nottingham Trent, the LEP, now given the considerably catchier moniker D2N2, got the go-ahead on 28th
October 2010.
Colin Walton, chairman of transportation giant Bombardier UK, based in Derby, was subsequently named as chairman of D2N2. He told Public Sector Executive: “Our intention was that we would meet very quickly and so we had our first meeting this January. We really wanted to hit the ground running. We have a terrific working group and there is all-party political support for the venture. I am also very pleased that the Duke of Devonshire is involved and he has been very active, particularly on the issue of tourism; an area few of us have experi- ence of. It means we have good transport, retail and tourism experience. And with the Chamber having a seat on the board, it also means they can represent a large number of the smaller and medium sized companies in our region, as well as the larger compa- nies.”
D2N2 has already endorsed around 20 projects to go through for regional growth fund grants and received its first major success when the redevelopment of the Alliance Boots site in Lenton, Nottingham was named as one of the Enterprise Zones to benefit from a share of £100m made available by the Government in March.
Adding value
It’s an indication of how the LEP can work, says Walton: “We are able to be a voice both for people who are looking to inwardly in- vest into the region and also for the people already here, helping them to develop their export potential and helping them to link up with people overseas, particularly in the growth markets. We believe that we can re- ally add value to them. The last thing that any of us want D2N2 to be is a talking shop;
Walton has nothing but praise for the out- going organisation: “We have had a terrific working relationship with emda looking at some of the skill sets that are needed going forward. Jeff Moore, the chief executive at emda, and his team have been hugely pro- fessional in this. They know their timescale is short and they are winding down, but they have given us a lot of advice, everything we have asked for, and with any guidance they have been only too pleased to help us. One of the big strengths is that emda was a very successful RDA. They have always been professional and they continue to be professional right to the very end. That is a great credit to the people at emda.”
Skill sets
Looking forward, innovation and high-tech industry is an area that Walton sees D2N2 championing. It is easy to see why when the region boasts innovative, cutting-edge companies such as Rolls Royce, Toyota, Bombardier, Alliance Boots and Speedo. BioCity Nottingham also provides business support, finance, laboratories and offices to companies working in the bioscience, pharmaceutical, medical technology and healthcare sectors and, with the support of the region’s three universities, cements high technology innovation and manufac- turing as the skills sets to develop further.
“We have a lot of strengths that we need to build and harness,” Walton states. “We have projects that we believe will be of great benefit to the region. We are also probably the only LEP that is completely surrounded by other LEPs. We are ‘landlocked’ and so we have started to work very closely with our adjoining LEPs to make sure that we can work and develop projects together.”
Tourism potential will be maximised by the Duke of Devonshire’s seat on the board.
this is an actual body going forward where I believe we can make a serious difference.”
One of the curious consequences of the speed with which the LEP concept became reality is that D2N2 is working closely with the East Midlands Development Agency, the RDA abolished in the Coalition’s re- forms.
In tune
But regardless of the enthusiasm of the business leaders of a particular region working towards a common goal, the true test of whether a project or idea is going to take off depends ultimately on the view of central government. When LEPs were first mooted, more than 50 areas put forward business cases to the Government. Only 24 went ahead, and not all of those in their original proposed guises.
D2N2 seems a little different, and cer- tainly seems to be held in high regard in Westminster. Phillip Rutnam, direc- tor general for business and skills at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, has visited the region, and there could also be a local BIS office which the LEP will work closely with.
Not only that, but figures at the very top of Government are taking an interest, as Walton explains: “We do get a feeling from central government, demonstrated when the entire Cabinet came to Derby a few weeks ago. Immediately after the Alliance Boots site Enterprise Zone was announced, I had the opportunity to speak to both the Prime Minister David Cameron and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg. We believe that we are in tune with their thinking and we want to be part of the solution not a cause of any problem.We believe that we can be a springboard to actually generate growth.”
He concludes: “We do believe that we are an LEP that can deliver sustainable growth and we believe that for some relatively small investments, we can deliver some big successes and big returns to central gov- ernment.”
At a time of auster- ity and cuts, such sentiments will be music to the ears of Cameron and Clegg.
Colin Walton
FOR MORE INFORMATION Visit
www.d2n2lep.org
public sector executive Mar/Apr 11 | 31
Image of Monsal Dale: SPDP
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