BIS South Central

and West

Ian Coates

• BIS Local: a quick intro

• Policy context

• The role of LEPs

BIS Local • Six small teams

based outside Whitehall

• Not a re-invention of RDAs or GOs!

• Seeking to achieve: – Effective responses to

economic shocks

– Economic opportunities identified & secured

– Policy influenced by local perspectives

BIS Local forward look

• Supporting and challenging LEP success and impact

• “Smooth landing” for the new economic landscape – with genuine local benefits

• Securing high quality bids to RGF round 3

• Identifying and promoting economic opportunities: – Companies

– Sectors

– Places

– Horizontal

• Influencing policy development

• Ensuring the best possible response to economic shocks

BIS

SFA UKTI

TSB DCLG

HCA

ERDF

DfT

HA

Net-

work

Rail

DWP

JCP Wor

k

Prog

Defra

EA

Nat

Eng

DCMS BD:

UK

“Growth is the Government’s top priority

and every part of Government is

focused on it.

But we need to grow differently.”

“And there is a strong role for BIS,

as the Department for Growth, in

enabling this.”

New Economic Landscape

• Local solutions for local issues

– e.g. LEPs

• Centralisation of some things – where this

makes sense/better vfm

– e.g Business Links

• Greater emphasis on private sector growth

and rebalancing the economy

– key sectors

• Emphasis on Cities

– City Deals

Some Key Themes

• A balanced economy

– Sectors, Places, Public/Private, Investment &

Trade

• Industrial policy – manufacturing at

the centre of long term vision

– Innovation & Technology, Public Sector

Seed Capital, Skills, Supply Chains

• StartUp Britain – promoting

entrepreneurship

New Housing Landscape

• Commitment to major increase in new

homes where they are needed and wanted

• Taking action to get the market moving, and

onto a more stable footing:

– 100,000 + homes through accelerated release of

Govt land

– £420m Get Britain Building fund

unlocking stalled sites

– £500m Growing Places Fund

– New Homes Bonus

– Planning Reform

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Local enterprise partnerships are led by

local authorities and businesses across

natural economic areas.

They provide the vision, knowledge and

strategic leadership needed to drive

sustainable private sector growth and

job creation in their area.

In the South West: different LEPs,

different journeys

• Six LEPs:

– Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly … Heart of the

South West … West of England … Gloucestershire

… Swindon & Wiltshire … Dorset

• Highly variable:

– “Maturity” and capacity

– Economic geography

– Priorities

– Enterprise Zones … or not

But a lot of common ground

• Shared priorities: – Infrastructure … Skills … Access to finance

• Shared opportunities: – Growing Places Fund … RGF round 3 …

Pathfinders … Local Transport Majors Funding

• Shared challenges: – LEP / LA interface … Delivery role? … Prioritisation

… Stakeholder engagement

LEPs and housing: early days

• Growing Places Fund: a focus for all LEPs

• Gloucestershire: overseeing distribution of New Homes Bonus

• Cornwall: direct reference to affordable housing in GPF criteria

• Dorset: direct recognition of housing link to economic growth

• West of England: housing need reflected in city deal

Take Away Messages

• Growth the top priority

• Housing matters

• LEPs are here to stay

• Plenty of opportunities to engage

• Local focus – but central Government

available