Ministers praise business commitment to local growth in Hull and Humber
Decentralisation Minister Greg Clark today met with business leaders to hear first hand their plans to realise the potential for growth across…
Decentralisation Minister Greg Clark today met with business leaders to hear first hand their plans to realise the potential for growth across Hull and Humber.
Following the meeting with representatives from local business organisations including the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce and local MPs, Mr Clark said:
I was very impressed by the level of energy and commitment shown by businesses from north and south of the Humber to work together to ensure that the area benefits from a local enterprise partnership. It was also remarkable that MPs from different political parties from right across the area shared their determination.
Business Minister Mark Prisk said:
Local enterprise partnerships will be key to enabling local communities to thrive and will play a very significant role in boosting growth.
Already, the vast majority of businesses in England are covered by a local enterprise partnership and it is encouraging to see business leaders from areas like Hull and Humber move forward with their own plans.
We have made clear that we want to hand power over from Whitehall to local people, local businesses and local communities. I believe they are best placed to drive forward change for the better in their areas.
The Government announced in the Budget that 21 new enterprise zones will be created this year, with the first ones based in eleven vanguard local enterprise partnerships. Today the Government has invited applications for the remaining enterprise zones from established local enterprise partnerships, by the end of June 2011.
If the area is not part of a local enterprise partnership, it cannot apply. This is a crucial opportunity for the business community and local civic leaders to come together and put in place a partnership that will help Hull, the East Riding of Yorkshire and North and North East Lincolnshire realise its economic potential.
Note to editors
- List of attendees
Stephen Martin - Clugston Group
Andrew Horncastle - Horncastle Group
Carolyn Burgess - Language is Everything
Howard O’Neill - Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce
Richard Kendall - Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce
Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP - Labour, West Hull and Hessle
Diana Johnson MP - Labour, Hull North
Martin Vickers MP - Conservative, Cleethorpes
Nic Dakin MP - Labour, Scunthorpe
Andrew Percy MP - Conservative, Brigg and Goole
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Budget announced that eleven local enterprise partnerships will be invited to come forward with proposals for enterprise zones. They are Liverpool City Region; Black Country; Derby Derbyshire Nottingham and Nottinghamshire; Western England (includes Bristol); London; Greater Manchester; Leeds City Region; Sheffield City Region; North Eastern; Greater Birmingham and Solihull; Tees Valley.
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All Enterprise Zones will benefit from:
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a business rate discount worth up to £275,000 per eligible business over a five year period
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all business rates growth within the zone for a period of at least 25 years will be retained by the local area, to support the Partnership’s economic priorities and ensure that Enterprise Zone growth is reinvested locally
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Government help to develop radically simplified planning approaches for the zone using, for example, existing local powers to grant automatic planning permission
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Government support to ensure that superfast broadband is rolled out throughout the zone, achieved through guaranteeing the most supportive regulatory environment and, if necessary, public funding.
Government will work with local enterprise partnerships on additional options, to suit local circumstances, including consideration of:
- enhanced capital allowances (instead of business rate discounts) for plant and machinery, in a limited number of cases, where there is a strong focus on manufacturing
- Tax Increment Finance to support the long term viability of the area
- UKTI support for inward investment or trade opportunities in the zone.
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A prospectus which gives more information to local enterprise partnerships, local authorities and partners about the Government’s Enterprise Zone programme has been published today and is available here: www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/enterprisezone.
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Local enterprise partnerships across the country are being invited to come forward with proposals for a further ten Enterprise Zones. Applications are due in at the end of June 2011. Government will announce the successful bids in July 2011.
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