Local Enterprise Partnerships: A Great LEP forward?
Local Enterprise Partnerships are a welcome innovation, formalising the role of the private and third sectors in making economic growth possible, and it is to be expected that they will vary in quality and effectiveness.
The 2010 Conservative election manifesto included a commitment to abolish the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) and replace them with “business-lead local enterprise partnerships”. This manifesto commitment was included in the Coalition Agreement and, in June 2010, a joint letter from Business Secretary Vince Cable and Communities Secretary Eric Pickles invited proposals to form Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs).
This briefing looks at LEPs to date and offer a brief analysis of the policy.