10 IN VIEW


BUSINESS DELIVERS ITS VERDICT We asked a range of business leaders to give their verdict on the LEP and what happens next


John Chesworth, chair of the Preston Partnership and executive chairman of Harrison Drury


The LEP was successful in securing significant allocations of local growth and other government funding programmes. It helped local authorities understand the need for a pipeline of projects to be built up so that funding could be accessed in quite short turn around periods.


In the early days, and as directed by government, the LEPs played an important role in preparing pan-Lancashire strategies and frameworks.


Its biggest achievements included securing enterprise zone status for multiple sites. It was also the lead entity for the Preston, South Ribble and Lancashire City Deals - the LEP played a really important role in getting the City Deal negotiated and agreed with government.


And it filled the void in Lancashire - as much as it could - arising from no combined or devolved arrangements. It should and could have been more transparent – it seemed opaque at times and perhaps could have had a more independent structure.


Lancashire needs to focus on its devolution agenda and the LEP, if active, would probably be a distraction so it’s probably good that there is one less piece of the jigsaw to fit in.


Miranda Barker


Miranda Barker, chief executive East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce and member of the LEP board


The physical funding put into driving investment, such as the Growing Places Fund, was a huge facilitator.


You can see tangible evidence of the LEP’s work. It helped make the AMRC North West happen here and following on from that positioned Lancashire in a way that it was able to attract the National Cyber Force headquarters to the county.


The LEP was a great identifier of opportunity - promoting and supporting our private sector bids into national government funding pots, so we could secure tens of millions of pounds of extra investment for Lancashire.


Robert Binns


Robert Binns, entrepreneur and chair of Downtown in Business Lancashire


The LEP has been an interesting initiative, with totally the right objectives. However, as per a lot of initiatives, one size does not fit all.


I feel the greatest achievement from the LEP era has to be the Preston Western Distributor scheme; a massive infrastructure project which will remove congestion and unlock land for both residential and commercial schemes.


With the current two-tier structure of governance in the county, and all the challenges that brings, perhaps adding another participant to the party was always going to be a big undertaking.


With resources squeezed, and living in an on-demand society when everything needs to have happened yesterday, duplication of roles and responsibilities coupled with prolonged deliberation on decision-making was never going to be a long-term solution.


Looking ahead, as The LEP enters its next phase, it is imperative that the voices of


We were on the front-foot, and it was really driven by the LEP because it brought together the public and private sector and gave us a lot of profile.


The LEP also helped to frame the Lancashire narrative, breaking it down into key sectors and painting that picture of what is so brilliant about Lancashire in those areas. That work around where we lead, not just in the UK but globally, has enabled a lot of funding to come into Lancashire from both the government and the private sector.


Looking ahead, if Lancashire is to have a business board like Manchester and Liverpool, the key will be making sure the same passion is there to have that profile and buy in from the private sector.


The onus is on all of us to make this work if we want Lancashire to get investment from the public and private sectors and from overseas.


Steve Fogg, former LEP chair


It was a sad inevitability. The important element was independent business support and whilst the independence wasn’t welcomed by some it was a key element of a voice for our county.


businesses, both large and small, have a seat at the table, all working towards a shared objective.


Those individuals or organisations entrusted with championing business interests should not only advocate for their individual cases but also look at the big picture for the economic growth for the entire county.


That said there are many local business networks in Lancashire that are working well and need all our support.


Steven Broomhead, former chief executive of the North West Regional Development Agency, member of Lancashire’s first LEP board and chief executive of Warrington Council


Right from the start LEPs did not have any statutory powers and were given limited resources. The regional development agency had a lot more scope and powers.


The LEPs were able to speak as the voice of business, interacting with the public sector, and some have been good at that.


Lancashire as a place doesn’t speak with one voice and that tribal nature makes things somewhat difficult. Right at the beginning there were calls for three separate LEPs in the county rather than a single partnership.


Going forward, I’d like to see one organisation in Lancashire with one business voice interacting with the private sector and with local government. That really has to be the ambition.


Mo Isap


Mo Isap, chief executive In4 Group and former Greater Manchester LEP co-chair


The LEPs have done a lot of good work when it comes to business engagement, regional inward investment and economic policy making.


In Lancashire you can see its work in terms of creating a strategy and vision and presenting that to national government and in making sure the area was attractive for investment.


LEPs have struggled in some areas where the political leadership wasn’t more coordinated, where there was fragmentation.


We have seen the LEP in Greater Manchester very quickly evolving into the Business Leaders group. It has been seamless.


Whatever replaces the LEP in Lancashire it has to involve political and business leaders working together for the long-term good. You have to go beyond the political cycle.


We have seen that happen in Greater Manchester, where the leadership is very much in sync, and we have seen what has come out of that in terms of attracting inward investment.


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