Swindon and Wiltshire’s joint bid for a private sector-led Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has been approved by the Government – ending a drawn-out saga that put them among the last parts of the country to set up one of the job-creating bodies.
The green light came from business minister Mark Prisk and decentralisation minister Greg Clark yesterday, giving Swindon and Wiltshire a LEP covering an area with a population of around 650,000 and more than 26,000 businesses.
The LEP, which has the support of Swindon and Wiltshire Councils, plans to help create 10,000 jobs and safeguard a further 8,000 over the next four years. Its priorities include increasing the coverage of super-fast broadband, regenerating and improving connectivity between the main population areas, supporting the tourism industry and helping to realise the potential of the growth sectors such as advanced manufacturing and engineering, information technology and logistics.
Swindon had originally expected to be part of a larger LEP with Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. But that idea fell apart when Gloucestershire decided to go in alone a year ago. Swindon then put in a bid to ministers for a solo LEP, only to be told the town was too small to support one of its own.
Despite initial misgivings on both sides, the councils and business organisations representing Swindon and Wiltshire agreed to work together on a new joint bid – which has now been approved.
Mr Prisk said: “Local enterprise partnerships have an important role to play in identifying each area’s potential for growth and I want all local communities to benefit from the knowledge and expertise of the private sector and the opportunities that growth brings.”
Mr Clark added: “We can see from the Swindon and Wiltshire local enterprise partnership the strength of the area’s local ambition, leadership and ideas. It is clear local councils, businesses and civic leaders are ready to exploit Swindon and Wiltshire's potential for growth and create new jobs.”
The LEP is one of 37 covering 98 per cent of the country.
