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LEP Chair fears government plans could silence the voice of business
The Chancellor’s announcement that he is minded to cease funding Local Enterprise Partnerships beyond 2023/24, raises serious questions about consequent costs and the role of business, according to LEP Network Chair Mark Bretton.
He says that by implication, the Growth Hubs that have helped support millions of small businesses will also lose funding.
He said: “The Chancellor’s statement was a further step in LEPs’ evolving role in the devolution agenda, if not managed well, it could significantly diminish or even silence the voice of local business and damage the unique convening power that gets projects delivered, acknowledged as the hallmark of LEP success for over a decade.- Whitehall recognises the transition will cost money, not save it, under the new burdens rule on Local Authorities, whereby any new functions must be funded by government, both LAs and government need to agree what these functions would cost to effectively deliver them. There is no money in the LEP system or core funding settlement to pay for this exercise which will only serve to divert scarce resources from where they should be focused, stimulating economic growth and supporting local enterprise;
- LEP directors cannot be expected to shoulder ongoing liabilities and going concern commitments. Government must provide full indemnities and take complete responsibility for the implications of their decisions;
- Business must not be silenced or made ineffective – it must retain a meaningful voice to ensure investment is relevant and that it enables the creation of jobs – after all it is business which creates jobs, not government;
- Lessons learned, especially in business case assessment, project execution governance and the delivery of committed outcomes are not lost. Government needs to avoid a “cookie cutter” approach and ensure solutions are locally tailored.
- Most importantly, that the 1000 people employed in our Executive teams are respected and their talent is not wasted.
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Great British Rail HQ decision is fantastic news for Derby, says Chamber Chief Exec
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Derby named as national HQ for Great British Railways
“We have a rich history of being the only city in the UK to have manufactured rolling stock continuously since 1840, so I’m thrilled that Derby’s heritage is being recognised in this defining way. We can’t wait to see what this momentous move will mean for Derby and its citizens in the future.”
While Great British Railway’s headquarters will be in Derby, other towns and cities across Britain, potentially including the five other shortlists, will still benefit, becoming powered up regional GBR hubs equipped with local decision making, and investment powers aimed at benefiting their local communities and further creating jobs in the locations they serve. GBR will also have roles spanning across Great Britain including the North, South East, South West and London, with the HQ driving collaboration and innovation across the sector. The government is working closely and collaboratively with the Great British Transition Team to co-design the future of our railways. Passengers and freight customers will be GBR’s key priority, the new body will also take control of the industry’s finances to drive efficiency and work with the private sector to deliver for customers. Great British Railways will be locally led and will harness the potential of the private sector locally, regionally and nationally. Anit Chandarana, Lead Director of the Great British Railways Transition Team, added: “The announcement that Derby will be the home of the Great British Railways headquarters is another important milestone on our journey to create a simpler and better railway for everyone in Britain. “Although Derby will be the home of our headquarters, Great British Railways will also introduce empowered regional centres, to bring decision making and leadership much closer to local customers and communities.“The Transition Team is continuing to work with government and the wider rail industry to deliver this much needed reform and we look forward to working with colleagues in Derby in the coming months, too.”
Scheme avoiding food waste secures national award nomination for Nottingham
- Saved eight tonnes of surplus food going to waste, equivalent to 20 tonnes CO2
- Distributed 6.8 tonnes of food, equivalent to 19,428 meals
- Cooked, frozen and delivered around 1,000 meals per week
- Registered 19 Nottingham charitable groups to receive meals.