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Why SEMLEP is vital to jobs and growth delivery
Ministers: LEPs vital to growth and jobs delivery
Skills and support for growing businesses top SEMLEP’s agenda for 2022-23
The role of the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership is needed now more than ever as business continues its recovery from the pandemic amid the rising cost of living, says its chief executive.
Hilary Chipping was speaking after a government review of the LEPs around the country. Ministers have confirmed that they want to ensure that businesses can access the support, expertise and representation that the Local Enterprise Partnership provides and to ensure that an independent business and stakeholder voice continues to play its vital role in supporting growth.
SEMLEP has published its Annual Delivery Plan for 2022/23. It coincided with a nationwide Local Enterprise Partnership-central government conference that has reaffirmed the role of LEPs and priorities for the future.
SEMLEP is funded by central and local government to deliver national programmes, tailored locally on behalf of several government departments, including the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, Department for Education and the Department for International Trade.
Ms Chipping said: “SEMLEP’s commitment to deliver sustainable and inclusive economic growth is set out clearly in the Delivery Plan for this year. We will continue to deliver an employer-led Skills Strategy, support high-growth, scale-up and pre-scaleup businesses through our Growth Hub and deliver much-needed Green Recovery and Innovation support to businesses in our area.”
SEMLEP’s Annual Delivery Plan sets out core activities, performance indicators and timeframes for the partnership to deliver: n Economic and skills intelligence and analysis to support data-led and evidence-based decisions on development across the South East Midlands.
Hilary Chipping n Multiple programmes to support local businesses to manage change, enhance export opportunities, recruit and retain talent, and transition to a zero-carbon future. n Support for employer-led skills development, connecting pathways into current and future occupations and enhanced careers-related information and experiences for young people. n Added value from the 60 projects supported through the major capital investment funds managed by the LEP.
“The LEP as a public private partnership bringing together businesses, local authority leaders, Universities and the voluntary sector is needed more than ever now to support local businesses and local communities in these economically challenging times,” said Ms Chipping.
At the conference, technology minister Chris Philp, who recently published the government’s UK Digital Strategy, said: ”Everyone should be able to get the skills needed to seize the benefits of new technology and forge a career in the UK’s booming digital industries. This is at the heart of the Digital Strategy and Local Enterprise Partnerships will play a vital role in delivering it by helping to boost growth, jobs and opportunities in tech across the country.
“LEPs are also putting their weight behind international trade opportunities and exploiting local economic strengths that boost innovation, where they have a strong card to play.”
The government’s LEP Review concluded in March. It concluded that “LEPs will eventually fully integrate into local democratic institutions in line with [government’s] mission to offer a devolution deal to everywhere that wants one by 2030.”
Up to five million people are being recruited for the UK’s largest health research programme.
The programme aims to discover how lifethreatening diseases can be detected, treated and prevented more effectively.
It is hoped that the Our Future Health project will pave the way for a bold new approach to healthcare in the NHS, focused on detecting life-changing conditions before symptoms appear, on better treatment outcomes and people living longer, healthier lives.
UK Biocentre, a specialist in sample processing, will play a key role in the research programme, which is looking at diseases such as cancer, dementia, heart disease, arthritis, diabetes and stroke. Its purposebuilt laboratories in Milton Keynes at Tilbrook have been designed specifically for the management, processing, and analysis of biological samples for biomedical research. They will process and store up to 50 million samples collected during the study.
It will use the latest automated technologies to receive and process up to 10,000 samples a day for use in future biological and genetic analysis work.
UK Biocentre’s chief executive Dr Toby Cox pictured below described the Our Future Health research as “nationally significant”.
He added: “We are delighted to support Our Future Health, a ground-breaking research programme, which will lead to more of us living healthier lives for longer. Our strong track record.”
UK Biocentre has a successful track record in high-capacity processing and storing samples, he added. Its staff of 800 supported the nation’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic by testing more than 30 million samples. UK Biocentre stores samples for more than 100 organisations including the government, academic institutions, the NHS, and other research partners.
Our Future Health chief executive Andrew Roddam said: “We are delighted that UK Biocentre will be one of our key partners supporting us in the processing of our participants’ blood samples and be solely responsible for the long-term ultra-low temperature sample storage.
“Their wealth of experience will ensure our volunteers’ samples are in good hands.”
Boris Johnson is pictured on a visit as Prime Minister to UK Biocentre during the pandemic in 2020
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Rival bidders vie for town centre office
Acity centre office building in Bedford has changed hands after a bidding battle.
The freehold of the 13,400 sq. ft. premises in Lurke Street has been acquired by a private investor after a number of competing bids pushed the offers well above the £800,000 guide price.
Commercial property consultancy Kirkby Diamond was joint agent with Koopmans Property Asset Management on the sale of the building pictured and received a total ten bids on the property, formerly occupied by law firm HCB Park Woodfine.
“We surpassed expectations both on the price achieved and the speed of the sale,” said Nathan George, head of lease advisory at Kirkby Diamond.
Hundreds of law books left by HCB Park Woodfine following the firm’s departure have now been donated to charity and will be shipped abroad to countries in Africa and Asia to help budding lawyers there with their studies.
HCB Park Woodfine has relocated to offices at Goldington Road in Bedford.
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