City Region Deal Announced today

Posted 5th July 2012
 
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Liverpool City Region’s Deal with Government is announced today (05 July) at Tate Liverpool.

Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and partners has negotiated a second City Deal with Government which will bring further investment to the City Region. This complements the City Deal announced earlier this year.

The Deal agrees a number of proposals with government covering skills and worklessness, transport, trade and inward investment, low carbon economy as well as harnessing the regions natural assets.

The LEP has led the negotiations that have secured the following for the City Region

An international Business Festival which showcases and celebrates business opportunities to Europe and the rest of the World, delivering £100m return on investment;
To increase employment by combining £81m public and private employment and skills investments and empowering businesses to create more jobs, tackle skills gaps and raise productivity, supporting 17,400 people into work and creating 6,000 apprenticeships;
To put transport at the heart of economic development through a revised approach to governance and creation of a joint investment fund of £800m supporting the creation of 15,000 jobs;
To harness the City Region’s science and knowledge assets, attracting ‘big science investment’, increasing GVA and generating 2,000 high value jobs;
A low carbon red tape pilot that will aim to reduce regulatory burdens and streamline local planning process to accelerate over £100m worth of investment in offshore wind infrastructure in the City Region and create 3,000 jobs; and
To examine how the River Mersey can become the cleanest river in an urban setting by 2045, with the commensurate economic benefits.
Robert Hough, Liverpool City Region LEP Chair said: “This City Region Deal is critically important for our economy as we seek to increase our competitiveness over the next few years. For instance, our innovative ‘Skills for Growth’ programme will enable us to support 17,400 people into work while creating around 6,000 apprenticeships. Additionally, the focus on low carbon engineering resonates strongly with the key sector growth strategies of the LEP. The City Deal process has shown how the partners within the City Region can work together to achieve positive benefits for the economy.

Robert added: “Delivering this City Deal will be a significant step forward in realising our ambitions and the potential of the City Region.”

Joe Anderson, Mayor of Liverpool: “This City Region Deal builds on and complements the Liverpool Mayoral Deal that we agreed earlier in the year. I am pleased to see what has been agreed with Government and strongly welcome the support from Government to help us secure growth and create jobs in the City Region. We are using our natural strengths and I am pleased to see the focus on trade and the River. It is now incumbent on us all to work together to support our businesses in their efforts to secure growth and create jobs.”

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