The Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has welcomed today's announcement of a £40 million funding boost for Greater Lincolnshire – with a further £27.5m earmarked for the future.

The Government’s Growth Deal, which the LEP and its partners have been negotiating for nine months, will give Greater Lincolnshire new resources and powers to build infrastructure, create jobs and train local people.

Projects which have secured funding from the Growth Deal for 2015-16 are:

  • Grantham Southern Relief Road – £16 million
  • Boston Quadrant – £4.75 million
  • Boole Technology Centre, Lincoln – £3.38 million
  • Unlocking Rural Housing – £4.13 million
  • Bishop Burton College – £7.5  million
  • Skegness Countryside Business Park (including western relief road) – £4 million

“The deal we have secured represents a major boost to our economy,” said Ursula Lidbetter, Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, which has been negotiating with Whitehall and Cities Minister Greg Clarke to secure the £39.86 million deal.

“We have worked very hard to achieve this very positive outcome in the face of some stiff competition from other regions.

"From the moment we were invited by Government to put together our strategic economic plan, we worked with our local partners to develop our assets and address our key economic challenges across Greater Lincolnshire before outlining the proposals that will bring about sustained economic growth.

"Not only will the Growth Deal support job creation, it will also improve our skills base and allow us to invest in our infrastructure to meet the economic needs of the future.”

Councillor Martin Hill, Leader of Lincolnshire County Council, said: “We put in a strong bid with a range of exciting projects which demonstrate Lincolnshire's potential for growth.

"And the size of this investment clearly shows that we've convinced Government that the county is a good place to do business.

"I'm particularly pleased with the significant contribution towards Grantham's southern relief road, which will be of real benefit to the town both in easing congestion and driving economic growth.

“We can now focus on bringing all these ambitious plans to fruition, helping to both safeguard and create jobs locally.”

The Growth Deal was a nationally competitive process. The funding award covers a
two-year period from 2015-16 and will focus on investment in the six key projects listed above.

Overall the projects will create 1,857 new jobs, deliver 2,300 new houses and lever in an additional £94 million in investment.

A further £27.48 million has been earmarked for spending in 2016-17 subject to additional information and approval. The projects which would benefit are as follows:

  • Grantham College – £2.28 million
  • Transport Hub in Lincoln – £11 million
  • Access to Employment  A16/A46 – £4.2 million
  • Lincoln East- West Growth Corridor – £3.1 million
  • Skegness Sustainable Transport – £4.0 million
  • Berkeley Circle, Scunthorpe – £2.1 million.

Councillor Chris Shaw, Leader of North East Lincolnshire Council, said: “This is really exciting news and demonstrates that once again North East Lincolnshire Council is securing funds to assist the industries in our area to flourish.

“There is no escaping that we have seen some challenges in this industry over recent years but we have also seen some fantastic investments too.

"Securing these funds with the support of one of our key partners means we will see further investment in the area which will stimulate the local economy, create jobs and supports the council's key priorities to create a stronger economy and stronger communities.”

More detailed information about the projects can be found on the attached background document(s). All documents will be available to download from Monday 7th July at http://shootingstar-pr.co.uk/newsroom

PHOTO / INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITY

Ursula Lidbetter, Councillor Martin Hill and Karl McCartney MP will be available for interviews and photographs at 12 noon on Monday 7th July in the Orange Room at Think Tank, Think Tank, Ruston Way, Lincoln LN6 7FL.

Notes to Editors:

About the Growth Deal

The Growth Deal is the Government’s response to Lord Heseltine’s Review in March 2013. It aims to stimulate growth and unleash the ambition and creativity of local leaders by devolving resources and responsibility to those places which can demonstrate credible and compelling economic leadership in pursuit of growth.

The Government is committed to negotiating a Growth Deal with every Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), building on the success of City Deals and ensuring that no place gets left behind.

Through Growth Deals, Local Enterprise Partnerships can seek freedoms, flexibilities and influence over resources from Government as well as a share of the new Local Growth Fund to target their identified growth priorities. Greater Lincolnshire’s Growth Deal focuses on delivering a diversity of economic benefits for the area. Please refer to the briefing documents for more information and quotes.

About the Greater Lincolnshire LEP

  • The Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership is a private and public sector partnership led by the private sector which aims to improve conditions for infrastructure and doing business in the Greater Lincolnshire area.
  • One of the first LEPs to be established in the UK, the Greater Lincolnshire LEP covers a large geographical area with a population of over one million and a diverse range of industries, from ports and logistics to farming tourism and engineering.
  • It includes North Lincolnshire, North East Lincolnshire and the administrative county of Lincolnshire. It is controlled by a LEP board made up of leading figures in the public and private sector.