Marches LEP highlights year of action in new annual report
The organisation driving economic growth across the Marches has spelled out ambitious plans for the next 12 months in its new annual report.
Paul Bennett, Shropshire Business Board chair, Mandy Thorn, Marches LEP chair and Paul Hinkins, chair of Telford Business board, launch the new annual report
The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership – the business-led body which brings together the private and public sectors to deliver accelerated growth across Herefordshire, Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin – launched the new report at two special consultation events.
The report details some of the LEP’s key work over the last 12 months as well as laying out its ambitious plans to help build continued prosperity across the region for the coming year.
New Marches LEP chair Mandy Thorn said the report showed how the LEP’s ability to forge a partnership between business and the public sector was delivering impressive results.
“Over the past 12 months the LEP has helped deliver millions of pounds of investment into this region, invested significantly in training our learners in the latest skills and technologies, set ambitious targets for economic growth over the next 20 years and also drawn up an energy plan which can help safeguard our environment whilst delivering the power our businesses need.
“The next 12 months will see the opening of the new Cyber Quarter – Midlands Centre for Cyber Security at our enterprise zone in Hereford, work starting on the hugely important Newport Innovation Park and the renovation of Shrewsbury’s Flaxmill Maltings nearing completion.
“We will also deliver our Local Industrial Strategy (LIS) to Government, setting out some of the key priorities and challenges facing this region as we continue to build prosperity for all.”
The report – available to download for free from the Marches LEP website at https://www.marcheslep.org.uk/ – was launched at special LIS consultation events with businesses in Hereford and Shrewsbury.
The Have Your Say – Grow Our Economy workshops gave businesses the chance to have their input into the plan, which will help unlock millions of pounds of future investment in the region.
“We were delighted to see so many businesses at the events because it is vital our LIS accurately reflects their experience of growth and investment opportunities across the area.
‘We have been able to strengthen our evidence base supporting the LIS as a result of the excellent input at both events, meaning the final document will be all the more powerful when we deliver it to Government in the new year.”