Local Economic Partnerships (LEPs)

D2N2 – The Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire LEP

The D2N2LEP now has a website where members can get further information and download newsletters

Background

The four local authorities of Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, along with the Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Chamber of Commerce and the three universities submitted a proposal to Government in September 2011 to form a LEP (called D2N2) across the two cities and two counties. This proposal was given the 'green light' on the 28th October 2010 with the Government asking the LEP partners to form a Shadow Board.

The Shadow Board:

Chaired by Colin Walton, Chairman UK and Ireland from Bombardier
Trevor Fletcher, MD of Hardstaffs
David Robinson, President of Speedo
The Duke of Devonshire and Richard Horsley representing the Chamber of Commerce
Prof. John Coyne, Vice Chancellor of Derby University also acting on behalf of the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University
The four local authority leaders Cllr Kay Cutts (Nottinghamshire), Cllr Jon Collins (Nottingham), Cllr Andrew Lewer (Derbyshire) and Cllr Harvey Jennings (Derby)

The Shadow Board met for the first time on the 17th December 2010 and will work over the next year to establish its priorities, roles and responsibilities along with agreeing a mechanism for selecting a full Board to be in place by late 2011.

How will the LEP operate?

The Shadow Board is supported by a LEP Officer Group (LEPOG) which is made up of senior officers from each of the partners organisations. Because the LEP is committed to a structure which is lean and mean and as the partnership does not have legal status and is still developing its roles and responsibilities, there are no formal sub-groups at this stage. Instead existing arrangements across both cities and counties are being used in order to engage with wider stakeholders. These include the Core City Board and Joint Leadership Board in Nottingham, the Nottinghamshire Business Engagement Group, along with the Derby Rennaissance Board and Derbyshire Economic Partnership.

The LEP Officer Group, which meets once a month, provides administrative support and guidance to the Shadow Board. As the LEP does not have any dedicated staff or financial resources, each partner will be taking a lead on various aspects of its work. The Shadow Board will formally agree these theme leads at its next meeting – date to be announced.

How is the FSB Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Region involved?

Nottinghamshire Business Engagement Group (NBEG)

Karl Sirrell, Regional Chairman and Natalie Gasson, Development Manager occupy places on the Nottinghamshire Business Engagement Group (NBEG), one the identified stakeholder groups that have been selected to feed-in to the LEP. The NBEG is made up of business leaders and organisations across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire who come together to discuss business issues and economic development across the area. Trevor Fletcher a member of the LEP Shadow Board has been invited to attend future meetings and will do from March 30th – the date of the next meeting.

Joint Leadership Board (JLB)

Natalie Gasson, Development Manager currently occupies a place on the Joint Leadership Board (JLB) through her involvement with the Nottinghamshire Skills and Employment Board. The JLB is one of the stakeholder groups that feeds into the LEP Shadow Board. The JLB is made up of councils in the Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire region, who come together with business and other partners to lead economic development and regeneration across the area.

Additional information

D2N2 LEP Vision

‘We aim to create the conditions for future economic prosperity and resilience by harnessing our economic power and complementary strengths through:

Building on shared advantages in internationally competitive science, manufacturing, engineering and creative industries, to drive productivity growth as we develop a low carbon economy.
Developing our distinctive cultural, leisure, sport and tourism offer to world class standards.
Ensuring that the benefits of sustainable economic growth are shared across our cities, towns and rural communities.
Developing our skills, building on the strengths and reputation of our first rate FE and HE sector, that will meet and drive up employers' current and future skills demands.

Have your say!

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