The new station will also enable companies located to the north of Cambridge and beyond, including our world leading technology cluster, to have a faster and more direct journey into London and beyond. In addition to this, the development itself will create new jobs and new opportunities.

Neville Reyner CBE DL Chair of the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership

Since the initial announcement regarding our allocation we have been busy putting in place the process and criteria upon which the LEP Board will decide how this money could be used within our area. We will be putting out a call for project funding requests soon via our website and the local authorities, and look forward to moving forward stalled projects.

Neville Reyner CBE DL
Chair of the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough LEP

The nearest event to our area is taking place in Norwich and is free to attend. You can find out more information online at: http://www.webfuelledbusiness.com/

“We welcome this submission of the enabling application by Urban & Civic to start work on the Enterprise Zone at Alconbury. We are most keen to see work on the Zone start as soon as possible so as to provide new space for business and to create a centre for opportunity for business and jobs growth with our LEP area, in line with aspirations.”

Further information about Alconbury can be found on Urban&Civic’s website: http://www.alconburyairfield.co.uk/

“It is fantastic news that the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) have allocated £75 million from its Large Facilities Capital Fund for the ELIXIR research infrastructure in Hinxton, Cambridge. Our LEP area has a strong track record for delivering discovery and innovative and this investment will place our area at the heart of bioinformatics in Europe. Congratulations to the European Molecular Biology Laboratory’s European Bioinformatics Institute and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council for their successful bid.”

Cllr Nick Clarke, Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council and member of our LEP Board, added:

“Investment like this will help maintain Cambridgeshire’s position as the world’s foremost centre for molecular research, and it sends a clear signal that our County’s economy, in particular its knowledge economy, is growing at a time when the economic climate is so uncertain. This will help us grow the Cambridge and Cambridgeshire brand – we are the natural home of research and development in life sciences and that will help us attract other R&D investment.”

We therefore welcome the announcement from the Chancellor today that the A14 will see capacity enhanced and performance improved, which will ease congestion and improve safety, and enhance the attractiveness of our area as a place to live, work, invest and do business. Critically, the fact that the road will now be enhanced will help to unlock much-needed new housing development and employment at locations such as Northstowe and Alconbury. We look forward to working with the local authorities and Government to ensure that we have firm plans in place soon, which can lead to delivery as soon as possible.

Neville Reyner CBE DL
Chair of Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Enterprise Partnership

Mark Cooper is the new Skills and Business Growth Lead for our LEP area. Mark’s first job will be to get to know the diverse range of local businesses, third sector organisations and public sector organisations we have within our area and to find out how the LEP can help to overcome their barriers to economic growth.

You can find out more about Mark here, and or email him your views direct to mark.cooper@yourlocalenterprisepartnership.co.uk.

The £500m Growing Places Fund, announced by Ministers today, has been created ‘to help boost economic growth by getting the required infrastructure built to enable the creation of new jobs and homes by getting stalled projects moving again.’

Neville Reyner CBE DL, Chair of the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough LEP, said: “Local businesses have clearly identified the requirement for improved infrastructure as a priority area for the LEP to tackle. We therefore welcome the Government’s allocation of £10.7 million from the Growing Places fund – a much needed boost to companies and LEPs during these challenging economic times.”

Neville added: “As an area, we have recent experience of utilising a similar revolving fund to help move forward vital infrastructure and housing projects that otherwise would have stalled and held back potential economic growth. We will be building on with this knowledge and expertise to ensure our allocation of Growing Places funding is deployed to best effect. Our LEP has great economic potential, and this fund will help us take another step closer to achieving it.”

The Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough LEP will now apply for the funding, whilst its Board works hard to review and prioritise infrastructure projects that could be eligible to receive this funding. The Growing Places Fund itself will be available to spend from January 2012, ensuring a swift turnaround from announcement to delivery.

Laura, who has been helping to support the work of the LEP over the past year alongside her role as Communications Manager at Cambridgeshire Horizons, will be responsible for all forms of communications and engagement work for the LEP.

Laura Welham-Halstead said: “I’m delighted to be officially working for the LEP and look forward to meeting even more local businesses to find out what we can do to help overcome their barriers to growth.”

In addition to this appointment, the LEP is looking for two more talented self-starters to help move their work forward. The two roles will manage the core business of the LEP, with one acting as Economic Strategy & Investment Lead and the other acting as Skills & Business Growth Lead.

Neville Reyner CBE DL, Chair of the LEP, said: “We are making great strides forward with the LEP now and need additional, dedicated staff to help support the Board, as well as our Directors Neil Darwin and Alex Plant, to turn our plans into reality. I’d encourage anyone looking for a new challenge to find out more.”

People can find out more about these vacancies by visiting www.yourlocalenterprisepartnership.co.uk/recruitment.

As a part of these events, we will be there to talk about the priorities areas of work for our LEP and answering your questions.

Events have already taken place in Cambridge and Huntingdonshire, with two more planned for Ely and Wisbech next week.

You can find out more about the Ely event taking place on Wednesday 12th October here and the Wisbech event taking place on Thursday 13th October here.