Investment figures revealed as Minister hails LEP’s role

A total of 4,500 jobs have now been created as a result of an investment programme by the Humber LEP with at least 1,500 more jobs to follow, according to figures published today.

In its annual review for 2017/18, the LEP says it has so far secured over £223m of Government funding to enable its partners to deliver projects, with £154m of this already invested on the ground, attracting £273m of other direct project funding (£182m private sector, £91m public sector) to make a total investment to date of £427m in the Humber, excluding follow-on investment.

Some of the projects supported by the LEP’s Growth Deal programme in 2017/18 include:
Individual business expansions. In 2017/18 these included Eltherington Industries Ltd in Hull, Moulded Fibre Products in Scunthorpe and Scratch Meals Ltd in Grimsby.
Flood defences, such as those at River Hull, Paull, Cottingham & Orchard Park, Anlaby & East Ella, Howdenshire and the Lincolnshire Lakes housing development.
Tourism and cultural investment in the Hull Venue and Normanby Hall Country Park.
City and town centre regeneration in Hull, Grimsby and Bridlington.
Engineering training facilities at HETA’s new site in Hull.
Business space at ERGO at Humber Bridgehead and The Arc in Westcliff, Scunthorpe, both recently opened.

Other figures released today show:
48 Enterprise Advisers from Humber businesses are now working with secondary schools and colleges through the LEP’s partnership with the careers and enterprise Company.
23 schools, training providers and colleges had met the LEP’s nationally-recognised careers quality standard by the end of the year, with 41 more working towards it.
The £6m Skills Support for the Workforce programme, delivered by HCUK Training and partners using European funding directed by the LEP, has now delivered 5,880 courses to 3,685 learners across the Humber.
Over 3,270 businesses have now been directly supported by the LEP’s Growth Hub, which provides free impartial business advice and signposting to available support.
38 organisations are now located on the Humber Enterprise Zone. Eight of these joined in 2017/18, including the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, Ron Dearing UTC and Indivior’s £23m pharmaceutical research centre, creating 454 new jobs. This year Siemens also announced plans for a train manufacturing and assembly facility on the Enterprise Zone in Goole, and work continues to bring the Stallingborough sites forward for investment.

The LEP’s Annual Review also sets out how the partnership is working with businesses, local authorities and other stakeholders to advocate the area’s interests with central Government and organisations like Transport for the North.

The impact figures come as a new report from the University of Hull’s Logistics Institute shows that the Humber’s economic output (GVA) has risen by 8% since 2014 – higher than the UK growth rate of 6.6% and higher than similar regions.

Lord Haskins, chair of the Humber LEP, said: “The LEP’s investment programmes are going from strength to strength, supporting a diverse range of projects from small business expansions to flood defences and training facilities. It is welcome to see the growing impact they are having.

“However our most important job is bringing the region together to act as one. The Humber has shown that it can achieve great things when it pulls together and speaks with one voice. Whilst there may be some difficult times ahead, there is much to build on as we move forward. I am sure that the strong spirit of collaboration we have in our region will see us continue to deliver.”

Local Growth Minister, Jake Berry MP, said: “The Humber is an integral part of the Northern Powerhouse which is why we have invested £141.5m of local growth funding into the region and why the Humber was awarded the largest Enterprise Zone allocation in the country.

“It is great to see that the Humber LEP has used this investment to create 4,500 jobs with more to come. Government’s Growth Deal Funding is supporting businesses to grow, improving skills facilities and flood defences, and contributing to city and town centre regeneration across the Humber.”