Cable to reveal successful LEP bids

THE long-awaited announcement on the much-debated replacement for regional development agencies such as Advantage West Midlands is expected today.

Business secretary Vince Cable MP will unveil the Government’s white paper on the Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and reveal which of the 56 submitted bids have been successful.

It is believed that around 25 of the applicants have been approved and they will begin life in 2012.

The decision to axe the RDA quangos was announced shortly after the Coalition Government came to power and the new LEPs will be run jointly by local councils and the local business community.

The Government intends for them to be more accountable to local people with funding provided for projects from its new £1.4bn regional growth fund.

Details of how this will work are also expected to be outlined today by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

The subject of LEPs has prompted much debate in the West Midlands throughout the summer with various groups aligning themselves to one another.

The Black Country has formed its own LEP without Birmingham, the second city has teamed up with Solihull and some parts of Staffordshire and Coventry and Warwickshire have also combined.

Telford and Wrekin, Shropshire and Herefordshire have all joined forces, Stoke-on-Trent is leading a wider Staffordshire LEP while Worcestershire is flying solo.