Wednesday 22 September
With the Liberal Democrat party conference in full swing, the week has been packed with news (and gossip) about the Regional Development Agencies, the Local Enterprise Partnerships that are being set up to replace them, and the £500m Regional Growth Fund. Here is our pick of recent blogs and websites covering these issues.
Allister Hayman, Local Government Chronicle: “Regional Development Agencies will cost £1.5bn to abolish”
Local Government Chronicle has been looking into the cost to the Government of abolishing the Regional Development Agencies – and finds that it will come to £1.5bn plus.
Dermot Finch, Fishburn Hedges: “Most LEP proposals not good enough – Cable”
Vince Cable told a Liberal Democrat fringe event this week that only 10-15 of the 56 Local Economic Partnership proposals his department received “were any good”. Also, Sir Ian Wrigglesworth, Deputy Chair of the approvals panel for the Government’s new £500m Regional Growth Fund, revealed at the conference that the money will not go to Local Economic Partnerships; it will instead be targeted at the private sector. Here, the former head of the Centre for Cities thinktank outlines his thoughts.
Rob Weaver: “Localism and other mythical concepts”
Regeneration consultant Rob Weaver offers further commentary on the lack of funding available to LEPs.