10 March 2020

A vision for Dorset

A vision for Dorset

Dorset LEP has a long-term vision of what we believe is needed to underpin future local economic growth, increase productivity, and build long term business resilience in the region.

As the UK prepares for the Chancellor’s budget on 11 March 2020, the LEP Network have published ‘Budget 2020’ which sets out the positive impact LEPs are having in every region of the country. Aligned with this, here is a summary of priorities for Dorset.

Devolution

  • Local decision-making to facilitate the best local outcomes - places should be front and centre in defining interventions to support their businesses and communities.    

Investment

  • A two-year extension of at least £1.5bn a year to the Local Growth Fund through a Growth Deal 4 to cover the fiscal years 2021/22 and 2022/23, to avoid a gap in the delivery of capital projects while the UK Shared Prosperity Fund is put in place.
  • A call for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to include capital and revenue funding, exceeding £18bn to ensure it is commensurate with Local Growth Funding and ESI Funds for a 6 year period.

Supporting Business

  • Continued and increased investment in the Dorset Gateway business support service.

People and skills

  • For young people to have access to the best equipment, facilities, education and skills training in Dorset to achieve the best learning outcomes and which prepares them for jobs across the leading industries in the area
  • Continued delivery of careers advice and education in schools and colleges through Dorset Careers Hub, the Enterprise Advisor Network and Cornerstone Employers scheme
  • A call for a two-year extension to skills capital and revenue funding (equivalent or larger than previous budgets) through the Local Growth Fund (Growth Deal 4) to cover the fiscal years 2021/22 and 22/23 to drive LIS priorities in colleges & providers during 2020/21 (this is the gap in which no new transport projects will be able to be funded from the Local Growth Fund, because of the end of the programme – or ESIF because all funding will have been committed by the end of 2020).
  • Increased dialogue with government around the role that LEPs could play in further supporting apprenticeship growth, with a focus on any flexibilities which could be trialed around place-based approaches to improving the impact of the Apprenticeship Levy.

Infrastructure:

  • Continue ensuring adequate and exemplary infrastructure in rail, road and digital to unlock, unblock and enable productivity, homes and jobs
  • 90 minute train journey from Bournemouth to Waterloo 
  • Call for a two-year extension to the Local Growth Fund to cover the fiscal years 2021/22 and 22/2 to support an existing pipeline of potential projects aligned with our draft Local Industrial Strategy to enable new local infrastructure projects to start during 2020/21 (this is the gap in which no new transport projects will be able to be funded from the Local Growth Fund, because of the end of the programme).

Clean Growth

  • We want to be able to invest in, and ensure, clean growth and adequate energy supplies; Dorset generates just 3% of its own energy which provides a great opportunity for the area
  • For the government to provide resource, proportionate to the scale of the local challenge to enable greener and resilient communities.

Enterprise Zones

  • We want to see tax incentives and capital allowances offered on Dorset Innovation Park Enterprise Zone to be extended to 2023 to cover the post EU Exit inward investment marketing opportunities.

Visit our website to read our full strategic vision for Dorset, Horizon 2038, and our draft Local Industrial Strategy.

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