‘Levelling-up’ has let us and our businesses down
WE have taken the decision to close Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Paretnership next year due to the change in central Government policy – and it really does go against every business bone in my body because of the incredibly successful performance of CWLEP over the past 11 years.
Pre-Covid we were the fastest growing LEP in terms of productivity and prosperity – that’s not just output per person, but generating wealth per household.
The whole premise of LEPs is that they placed business at the heart of strategic economic decision-making. Symbolically, they were ‘driven’ by business with a private sector chairperson.
In Coventry and Warwickshire, the strength of the LEP was in those key major investment decisions being made in partnership.
Our board consisted of elected political representatives along with our local leaders in healthcare, further education colleges, and both universities, working together with business representation from key sectors such as automotive, digital, culture and tourism, and manufacturing. There was always a balance.
The best decisions were made by the power of that partnership which developed and was acclaimed by all involved.
But, sadly, the Levelling-Up White Paper deemed that Government no longer wishes business to be at the heart of that strategic economic decision-making at this level.
The Government want to move our private sector voices to more of a ‘consultee’ role, which means that the work we have done with partners and the structure we designed to fit our economic geography is now lost.
Of course, policy does, and has to, evolve, and therefore so do we.
At CWLEP I remain most proud of the depth and breadth of our successful impact on every part of our economy.
That’s everything from pushing Central Government for support for freelancers during the Covid pandemic, to securing the largest single Government-funded project with the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre.
Industry need has always been at the core of our delivery, and our focus has always been on highlyskilled jobs and opportunities for local people. That’s where our partnership work with further and higher education has been so crucial.
Examples of this include the ‘Charge Up Your Future’ programme with local colleges to enable re-skilling people for electrification and the future of automotive.
Our national collaborative Institute of Coding with Coventry University is leading in cutting-edge data and artificial intelligence skills for the population, and our manufacturing heritage and its future is secured though our investment in the WMG Degree Apprenticeship Academy.
I like to think everyone in Coventry and Warwickshire has been touched by the improvements we have made to our region particularly through our investments in town centres.
You might have seen capital projects such as the new Kenilworth Station; improvements to Leamington Station, Victoria Park and the bowling greens; or the pedestrianisation of Stratford’s Henley Street.
Equally you might have had a new experience like Sanctuary in Bedworth – the Covid memorial for the nation – brought by Artichoke Productions and Imagineer to Coventry and Warwickshire.
You may have seen the North Warwickshire Arts Challenge enabled by CWLEP; or visited one of the investments I am particularly proud of from 2016 which is the RSC’s Costume Workshop. It was the first investment we made into culture in the region and laid the foundations for Coventry’s bid for UK City of Culture and to the successful Commonwealth Games CultureFest as well.
But what’s really important has been our approach to partnership working across the region particularly when talking about real Levelling Up.
It’s the behind-the-scenes work we have done to create projects like Daimler Powerhouse at Daimler Wharf, for a mixture of creative industries making use of industrial space; Biart Place in Rugby, a partnership with Rugby Borough Council and Homes England for much needed social housing; and the multi-million-pound investments for Transforming Nuneaton to change the aspiration of businesses and young people in the town.
Our priority at CWLEP now is continuity for businesses and providing the vital support they need in these current incredibly challenging times.
We will help establish a Coventry and Warwickshire Economic Forum to engage with businesses and gain their valuable insight which will be operated by our Local Authorities.
We want to establish the Growth Hub as a community interest company to ensure it continues as an independent business-led support service moving forward.
In times of such uncertainty, I encourage businesses who want to find out more or engage in the future to contact me directly through CWLEP’s website or get in touch with the Growth Hub directly if you are looking for business support.
Our region is strong and resilient but we will need to work harder than ever in partnership to continue to achieve the best outcomes for everyone in Coventry and Warwickshire.”
The Levelling-Up White Paper deemed that Government no longer wishes business to be at the heart of that strategic economic decisionmaking at this level
Sarah Windrum, Chair of Coventry & Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP)