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£270m investment package for the Heart of the South West

LEP response to Government’s Growth Deal announcement

The Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership is pleased to have secured an investment package for the area worth £270m.   The LEP has agreed a Growth Deal with Government which includes £130.3m from the Government’s Local Growth Fund to support economic growth in Devon, Somerset, Plymouth and Torbay.   The deal will unlock further investment of £140m from the private sector and local partners.

In the coming weeks we will be working with Government to put in place relevant arrangements to enable us to draw down monies; confirming the scope of works to be delivered against each strand of activity (for example, the scope of channel widening and flood alleviation works in Somerset).

For more information, download the LEP’s full press release, the Government’s  fact sheet or visit the Government website to download the full Growth Deal.

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      David Ralph

      Chief Executive

      David Ralph started as Chief Executive of Heart of South West LEP at the beginning of June 2018. Previously, he had spent 5 years as CEO of the Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (D2N2) LEP from 2013 where he oversaw the development of the D2N2 Strategic Economic Plan and sector strategies, 3 Growth Deals with HM Government to deliver a £1billion capital investment programme, securing and implementing £200m ESIF programme, the Derby and Nottingham Enterprise Zone, the D2N2 Skills Deal and Time for Innovation programme, community fund and led the executive team to develop the HS2 East Midlands hub. He was also closely involved in the proposed North Midlands Devolution Deal and one of the key architects in establishing the Midlands Engine, chairing the officer steering group. Whilst in this role David was a NED of the Nottingham Enterprise Zone, and Marketing NG, the Outer Estates Foundation and a Governor of Nottingham College and on the advisory Board of Nottingham Business School.

      Before the East Midlands, David was CEO of the Have Gateway Partnership working closely with local stakeholders including the ports of Felixstowe, Harwich and Ipswich and BT Adadastral Park across Suffolk and Essex and prior to that was Chief Exec of the Barton Hill New Deal for Communities programme in Bristol and the Nelm Development Trust in Norwich.

      David is a keen sailor, walker and trail runner.