LEP video debate: ‘Full steam ahead’ says Blackett

THE TEAM behind Birmingham’s bid to form a Local Enterprise Partnership says it is forging ahead with its plans before the government has given it the go-ahead in order to get to work on the city’s key issues of skills and support for business.

But, speaking exclusively at a round table discussion organised by TheBusinessDesk.com in association with Willmott Dixon, one of the LEP’s key figures admitted that no ‘big hitter’ from the business world has yet come forward to chair the body – a crucial requirement of the government.

Jerry Blackett, chief executive of Birmingham Chamber Group, and one of the key architects of the Birmingham LEP, said: “Rather than wait for approval we’ve decided to get on and start to do it by forming a shadow board and several workstreams.”

But Mr Blackett blamed the government’s loose guidance during the process for the LEP’s failure to find a chairman.

He said: “Such is the lack of clarity at the moment that we will not be able to attract any serious business people to serve on the board at this stage. There are too many uncertainties for strong people to give up their time.”

The next four months, he said, would see the LEP team pulling together a detailed plan to persuade business ‘big-hitters’ to get involved.

Mark Barrow, the new strategic director of development for Birmingham City Council, urged all involved to turn the lack of clarity to the region’s advantage.

He said: “If I’m honest, I think there is a danger in asking for too much guidance. We have an opportunity to shape the national agenda from the bottom up.”

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Birmingham Chamber and Birmingham City Council have formed a LEP bid with neighbouring South Staffordshire, Solihull and Burton, after chambers and local authorities in the Black Country controversially decided to go their own way.

Added to much reduced budgets compared to their RDA predecessors, LEPs have struggled to win much involvement from business leaders.

However, speaking at the round table event, Nick Gibb, pre-construction director for regeneration specialists Willmott Dixon, explained why his organisation was one of the first businesses to raise its head above the parapet and formally support Birmingham’s LEP bid.

He said: “At the end of the day, regeneration creates momentum and interest in an area – it gets money flowing around the economy again. We’re interested in LEPs because this in an innovative approach to do just that.”

Lee Kemp, managing director of video and TV production specialists FullRange, spooke for the small business owner.

He said: “On a day-to-day basis there are only two things that are important to any business – sales and cash flow. While the LEP isn’t going to have any direct impact on that, I am interested in how this will impact on skills coming through, and if it will bring brands to the region I can work with.”

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