Ministers approve 38th LEP

Ministers today approved the 38th local enterprise partnership in England.

Business minister Mark Prisk and decentralisation minister Greg Clark have unveiled the Northamptonshire local enterprise partnership, which covers a population of around 683,000 and represents 24,785 businesses.

It has the support of both businesses and local authorities in the area and joins the 37 partnerships announced since the government’s Local Growth White Paper was published in October last year.

The Northamptonshire partnership plans to create 70,000 jobs over the next 15 years.

Its priorities include increasing the coverage of super-fast broadband, regenerating and improving connectivity between the main population areas, supporting the tourism industry and helping to realise the potential of growth sectors such as advanced manufacturing and engineering, information technology and logistics.

Nick.whitten@estatesgazette.com