10 IN VIEW
NEW PARTNERSHIP ROLE FOR BOOST BOSS
The head of Boost, Lancashire’s business growth hub, is taking over the day-to- day running of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) following the departure of chief executive Sarah Kemp.
Andy Walker, who is head of business growth at Lancashire County Council, will take on the LEP role on an interim basis as part of his job to drive forward economic growth in the county.
It has also been announced that he will help the LEP prepare for new governance arrangements to assist the body in becoming “fully embedded” into the anticipated County Deal that ‘Greater Lancashire’ is negotiating with government.
Those involved in those negotiations say that placing the LEP in a central role will be critical for the success of any deal, which they stress will place growth and business at its heart.
Debbie Francis, who chairs the LEP, welcomed the announcement. She said: “Andy is a well- known and well-respected figure in Lancashire’s business community and he’s the perfect person to take on the role of managing the LEP in this transitionary period.
“A thriving and dynamic private sector lies at the heart of Lancashire’s devolution ambitions. The LEP’s role will be vital as we secure a County Deal for Lancashire, so we want to ensure the LEP is fully embedded into the emerging structures.
“It makes sense that during this period the LEP’s management arrangements are brought under the supervision of Lancashire County Council.”
Andy Walker
Andy Walker said: “Economic growth is the key to ensuring the success of our emerging County Deal. The LEP has such an important part to play in this, so I am thrilled to be taking this responsibility on at such an exciting time for Lancashire.”
He said the LEP had developed a distinctive voice for the private sector and that remained its key strength and he added: “Moving forward we will look to focus on those areas where the LEP can make a difference.”
The input of the private sector in a successful County Deal process was vital, he added, and stressed: “Making sure there is that strong and clear private sector voice in terms of economic strategy and development in Lancashire is going to be really important moving forward.”
Sarah Kemp
It was announced in May that Sarah Kemp was departing from her role and that she had been appointed as pro-vice chancellor for engagement at Lancaster University.
She joined the LEP in April 2020 and helped steer the county through several major challenges including Covid-19, Brexit, and the government’s net zero targets.
During her time in the role the LEP secured millions in new funding to support economic growth across Lancashire through a wide mix of infrastructure, skills, transport, R&D and business support programmes.
The LEP also established several business-led sector groups which have informed a wide range of investment strategies.
REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL
by Tom Smith Lancashire Litigation Partner, Brabners LLP
Reading some national press, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the world is coming to an end with absolute economic devastation just over the horizon.
Well, from my perspective and a Lancashire perspective, I think sometimes we need to take a minute to step back and celebrate the good things that are happening in our county and the resilience of our people and businesses.
For example, we have the prospect of the Eden Project North coming to Morecambe, something that will do so much to revitalise that area and bring a huge boost for tourism county-wide.
Brabners is proud to have been heavily involved with the project on behalf of Lancaster County Council and I just hope the recent funding application to the Levelling Up Fund is successful and the government ‘puts its money where its mouth is’ and supports such a terrific venture, that will be such a boon for the area, delivering on the much touted ‘Levelling Up’ promise.
The other exciting new development on the horizon is the arrival of the new National Cyber Force campus in Samlesbury, creating thousands of highly skilled jobs in the region and a reported investment of £5bn.
On top of the 2,000 or so direct jobs created when the centre opens, there will be numerous opportunities for local businesses to engage with the NCF and create long-term partnerships.
Already, the announcement has precipitated talks of strategic partnerships between key employers in the area with a view to ensuring the region is the undisputed national leader in cyber and security innovation.
This, together with the presence of other market leaders such as BAE Systems and the AMRC, put Lancashire on track to be a world leading hub for advanced manufacturing and all things tech.
These are just a couple of high-profile examples of ‘good news’ stories. There are numerous other examples that we at
Tom Smith
Brabners witness on a day-to-day basis which may not be quite so headline-grabbing but are all making a positive impact to Lancashire and its businesses.
We are committed to Lancashire and its people and it just seems that others may be cottoning on to what we all know already: Lancashire is a great place to work and do business!
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