LEPs defiant after Enterprise Zones rejected
LOCAL Enterprise Partnerships left disappointed after seeing their Enterprise Zone plans thrown out by Government have remained defiant in the face of defeat.
The Government confirmed yesterday the location of 11 more EZs across England with only Hereford winning approval from the West Midlands bids.
Plans for EZs in south Kidderminster, Coventry Airport and north Staffordshire were all rejected by the Government which received 29 bids in total.
Worcestershire LEP’s chairman Peter Pawsey said the body remained confident its proposals could lead to the creation of more than 4,000 new jobs in the area.
“We will be sitting down with Wyre Forest District Council and the ReWyre team to plan the creation of our own enterprise zone for the South Kidderminster Advanced Manufacturing & Business Park because many of the business benefits can still be applied,” he said.
- Click through for more details about the EZ bids in Kidderminster, north Staffordshire and Coventry Airport.
The Black Country LEP, which was granted an EZ in March’s Budget, announced yesterday it would housing its zone at two sites on the i54 business park, in south Staffordshire, and in Darlaston, near Junction 9 of the M6.
But Stoke and Staffordshire LEP described yesterday’s news as bittersweet after its EZ bid for the north of the county lost out.
Chairman Maitland Hyslop said: “The i54 decision for the south of the county is a great vote of confidence for the region, but the decision on the Etruria focused EZ is of course a disappointment.
“Our determination and belief in the area are absolutely undaunted. We are generating an impressive investment package that has put us in poll position for future investment.”
Louise Bennett, chief executive of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “We are disappointed by the Government decision because we feel the existing plans for the development around Coventry Airport and the linkage with the Whitley side make total sense.
“But this is a development which had been drawn up before it became an Enterprise Zone bid and I am sure all partners involved will be determined to see move forward.”
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