County-wide economic development work previously carried out by Staffordshire’s Local Enterprise Partnership is set to be taken on by two councils.
The Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (SSLEP) is due to close 13 years after it was formed to support businesses in the area.
As a result, reserves in the organisation are set to be transferred to Staffordshire County Council, with funding for the Growth Hub, Careers Hub and Local Visitor Economy Partnership ring-fenced as key economic programmes.
The authority is set to form a joint committee with Stoke-on-Trent City Council, with both taking on the responsibilities of SSLEP.
Staffordshire County Council leader, Cllr Alan White, who gave details of the changes at an overview and scrutiny committee meeting yesterday (26th February), said:
“For the last decade SSLEP has acted as an important organisational means of bringing together businesses and local leaders to drive economic growth across the area. It’s also been responsible for the management and the delivery of several major funding streams from Government.
“We received Government guidance in early 2022 that the responsibilities would be transferred to upper-tier local authorities. Subsequently the Chancellor stated he was minded to end national funding for local enterprise partnerships from 1st April 2024.
“SSLEP had already agreed in principle to close the company. And in the absence of governance for making decisions related to the responsibilities, it’s to be integrated with local authorities.”
Cllr Alan White, Staffordshire County Council
The draft terms of reference for the new Joint Enterprise Delivery Committee were presented to the committee for consideration on Monday.
They will be subject to approval by the county council’s cabinet.
Cllr White added:
“The projects that have been brought forward over the past 14 years have seen Staffordshire – which was part of the worst-performing regions in England – go from a laggard to somewhere where we should all rightly be proud with the projects that have been put in place.
“To allow those projects to passively chug along post-SSLEP would be the wrong thing to do.
“What we should be doing is ensuring the joint endeavour of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent is one that continues to enhance the growth capabilities of this area.”
Cllr Alan White, Staffordshire County Council
Can you tell us what this quango specifically did, achieved or delivered? Your release is full of ambiguous waffle.
“The Chancellor stated he was minded to end national funding for local enterprise partnerships from 1st April 2024.”
I think the fact the Chancellor ended funding probably says it all as to the usefulness of this organisation.