Last updated at 09:30, Tuesday, 15 January 2013

Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership has produced its Business Plan Key Priorities document and is inviting businesses to comment on it.

Local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) were set up by the Coalition Government to lead economic regeneration in the English regions.

They have private-sector-led boards and replace regional development agencies, although they lack the Government funding that development agencies received. Cumbria LEP’s Business Plan will form the basis of its activities.

It names four ‘priority sectors’ – energy, manufacturing, food and drink, and the visitor economy – seen as pivotal to the county’s prosperity.

These are supplemented by six underpinning sectors – construction, digital media and creative, logistics and transport, business services, low-carbon and renewable energy, and agriculture – also regarded as crucial.

The document identifies four cross-cutting themes: helping businesses achieve their potential; providing a skilled workforce; improving infrastructure; and using Cumbria’s environment as an asset. And it goes on to list 34 actions.

These include accessing funding to help businesses grow, helping exporters, developing strategic sites for business, and establishing a skills-and-employment group to identify skills gaps and training needs.

The LEP produced the Business Plan in association with the University of Cumbria’s Centre for Regional Economic Development, following consultation with around 1,000 businesses.

LEP interim chairman George Beveridge said: “This is the most focused and coherent piece of engagement with businesses that we’ve ever seen in the county. An eight-page outline can be viewed online at www.cumbrialep.co.uk/get-involved/

First published at 09:27, Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk