IoD reaction to Local Enterprise Partnership announcement

Dated: 28 October 2010

Commenting on the Government’s announcement today on the formation of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), Miles Templeman, Director General of the Institute of Directors, said:

On the number of LEPs:

“The Government seems to have listened to many of the IoD’s concerns and not supported the creation of a morass of unfocused bodies. After such a disastrous start to the process of deciding the successor bodies to Regional Development Agencies, 24 successful bids is at least a manageable number. That said, the fact that bids, such as Cornwall and Isles of Scilly made the grade is concerning due to the weak levels of business engagement and detail.

On the potential ability of LEPs to deliver economic development:

“We are concerned about just how much influence LEPs will have. Without any obvious formal or informal clout in the planning process, it is highly questionable whether LEPs will be effective. What we need is for local authorities to be financially incentivised to deliver economic development. This would give them a genuine reason to listen to proposals coming from LEPs. The Government has talked about making this happen, but we need to see it working in practice.

On LEP funding:

“LEPs need a small amount of money so that they can identify local and regional developments needs through research. With no cash at all they will end up relying on local authorities to provide advice on local infrastructure needs. This is likely to divert LEP priorities away from economic development and onto the local authority agenda. This would not be a good outcome. Local authorities are not sufficiently focussed on economic development.”

ENDS

Contact Points

Edwin Morgan
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Institute of Directors, 116 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5ED
Tel: +44 (0)20 7451 3392
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Email: edwin.morgan@iod.com
Website: www.iod.com/policy

Notes to editors

  • The IoD (Institute of Directors) was founded in 1903 and obtained a Royal Charter in 1906. The IoD is a non-party political organisation with upwards of 45,000 members in the United Kingdom and overseas. Membership includes directors from right across the business spectrum – from media to manufacturing, e-business to the public and voluntary sectors. Members include CEOs of large corporations as well as entrepreneurial directors of start-up companies.
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