Inside the LEP

I was elected chairman in May 2012, succeeding Dr Martin Dare-Edwards. My deputy is Ian Wenman of the Institute of Directors.

LEPs, as they are known, are relatively new. What are they and what is their role?

LEPs were established by the Government in 2011. A LEP is a voluntary partnership between business, local government and higher education to set priorities and lead economic growth and job creation in its local area.

They carry out some of the functions of the regional development agencies, which were abolished in March this year. There are currently 39 LEPs in England.

Who is on the LEP?

The LEP is an elected board. For Oxfordshire, the LEP’s emphasis is on business. In addition to the CBI, the IoD and the Oxfordshire Chamber of Commerce, the board also has Margaret Coles, chairman of the Oxfordshire Federation of Small Businesses; Adrian Lockwood, managing director of Integration Technology and chairman of the Oxfordshire Skills Board; Nicolas Grant of Centrica and Phillip Shadbolt, managing director of Zeta Controls, representing Oxford City and Bicester Vision respectively.

We have Ian Walmsley from Oxford University, Paul Inman from Oxford Brookes University and Sally Dicketts from Oxford and Cherwell Valley College.

And local government is represented by Ian Hudspeth and Bob Price, leaders of the county and city councils.

Are LEP members paid?

The board members are all volunteers who receive no kind of reward or expenses.

Is there a LEP support function?

Oxfordshire County Council provides the LEP with its secretariat. Legally, we must have an accountable body to monitor the allocation of any public sector funding and the county council fulfils that function too.

What are the priorities for Oxfordshire?

We are fortunate that Oxfordshire is very sound economically. It has low unemployment and has weathered the recession far better than many, but we have to plan for the future and tackle critical issues to continue to grow the economy. Our strapline is ‘Creating new private sector jobs for Oxfordshire’.

This is at the heart of everything we do. Not only are the jobs part of the economic growth, they are also vital to replace public sector jobs lost in the cuts.

The LEP has identified key business issues and geographic areas. For each issue, a member of the LEP is a champion, heading a working group which can often include members from outside the LEP itself. We have a great deal of interest and backing from people who are as enthusiastic as we are about developing the county and its assets.

The key geographic areas are Oxford, the new Science Vale Enterprise Zone based around Milton Park and Harwell and the regeneration of Bicester.

Can you give some examples of key business issues?

n Infrastructure: This covers a whole raft of topics — affordable housing, communications and transport are just a few. Our infrastructure working group brings together Oxfordshire local authorities to agree strategic priorities and investment for economic growth, housing, regeneration and infrastructure.

n Transport: Every kind needs to be addressed and tackling traffic bottlenecks such as the A40 and the A34 are high on the agenda.

n Skills shortages: For a high-tech county with low unemployment, it is perhaps surprising to find skills shortages at many levels. Adrian Lockwood, chairman of the Oxfordshire Skills Board, is canvassing employers to determine their needs and the shortages to be addressed.

n Access to finance: Firms need an easy route to obtain business support to help them grow.

n High-speed broadband: Some areas are well served, others are not. There is evidence of businesses moving to gain access to good connections and we are gathering hard facts about current and future needs.

The provision of new services is complex and involves a wide range of suppliers. The LEP is working alongside the county council to ensure fast broadband connectivity across Oxfordshire as soon as possible.

Does the LEP have any funding?

The LEP manages the Growing Places Fund, which is aimed at both the private and public funded sectors.

Businesses and organisations can bid for quite significant amounts to unlock infrastructure problems that are stalling growth. In round one, the Government allocated us £8.4m of capital and £600,000 of revenue funding and the winners of the first round bids will be announced soon. Round two is imminent.

The LEP itself has been awarded £250,000 a year of Government funding for the next three years, which gives us the means and the flexibility to carry out our role.

Is there co-operation with other LEPs?

Economic development often crosses borders and we are in regular contact with LEPs in neighbouring counties to encourage cross-fertilisation.

How are you publicising the LEP and its work?

It is clear LEPs are still largely unknown to the man in the street and, more importantly, business.

Our press conference at the end of November was the start of a campaign aimed at revealing who we are and what we do to a wider public.

At that same conference, we launched our Business Survey, asking firms to let us know their priorities and problems.

A clear grasp of businesses’ needs is essential for the LEP to set the correct agenda and we strongly encourage business owners and leaders to let us know their views.

There is a LEP website and a monthly e-newsletter to county businesses.

What does the future hold for the LEP?

The Coalition sees LEPs as being the way forward in the increasing devolvement of economic growth and job creation. We have been asked to establish plans for a Local Major Transport Scheme by early 2013. The Heseltine Review has reinforced the importance of private sector-led economic growth to the UK economy. The Labour Party supports LEPs, so even if the government were to change, the role for LEPs would continue. We see our remit as vital for both the expansion of Oxfordshire and its continued success as one of the UK economy’s powerhouses.