Council joins LEP to form ‘strong union’

Rutland County Council is to join the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) with immediate effect.

The move is a boost for businesses in Rutland, which can now access services and resources offered by the Greater Lincolnshire LEP and its Business Lincolnshire Growth Hub.

Rutland was a founder member of the Greater Peterborough Greater Cambridgeshire Local Enterprise Partnership, which morphed into a Business Board run by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.

Now Rutland has decided to join the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, with which it says it has a close alignment in terms of its rural economy, its market towns and the importance of sectors such as agriculture, tourism and food and drink.

Subject to final agreement on governance matters, the leader of Rutland County Council, councillor Oliver Hemsley, will join the Greater Lincolnshire LEP’s Board of directors as a public sector representative.

He said: “We are delighted to become part of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP.

“There are significant parallels between Greater Lincolnshire and Rutland’s economies. Rutland boasts a resilient and passionate business community that bring a wealth of knowledge and talent to further enhance the LEP’s skills and expertise.

“I believe this will be a strong union that will help us to support our and the region’s businesses and economy to re-establish and thrive following lockdown.”

Pat Doody, chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, welcomed Rutland’s membership.

“I know I speak for the board in welcoming Rutland to the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership,” he said.

“Its addition brings greater diversity and opportunity to the region and we look forward to working with the leader councillor Hemsley, the chief executive Helen Briggs, and local business across the SME segments in further developing economic prosperity in what are challenging times.

“Now more than ever, the collaborative efforts of the public and private sectors are vital both to plot a course through the current issues and to prepare the economy’s route forward at a local level.”