Heart of the South West (HotSW), the Local Enterprise Partnership for Devon, Somerset, Plymouth and Torbay launched its Business Plan at the Tiverton Hotel on 3rd April.
‘Heart of the South West – Enabling Growth and Prosperity’, which was unveiled at a full meeting of the Local Enterprise Partnership’s (LEP) Business Forum, sets out the role, objectives and opportunities for the LEP over the coming months.
To help them create the Business Plan, the LEP consulted widely, holding presentations and workshops over the Heart of the South West area also encouraging businesses and organisations to express their views via email.
HotSW Chair, Tim Jones said: “The Business Plan is a fundamentally important document for the LEP. It sets out not only our vision and priorities, but also our structure and governance.
“We want businesses across the HotSW area to really get involved in helping to shape our priorities through the Business Forum. The success of our LEP depends on are ability to listen to what businesses across our area are saying and then influence government. We need Whitehall to understand the unique challenges and issues that act as barriers to economic growth.
“We do not want to reinvent the wheel, we will be working with partner organisations to stimulate inward investment, increase competitiveness and drive productivity, enabling our businesses to reach new markets, providing the right environment to inspire entrepreneurial flair and creativity.â€
In the Plan, HotSW sets out its role as a leadership organisation, collaborating with Local Authorities and partner organisations to create economic opportunity, jobs and prosperity.
Tim continued: “To achieve our ambition of creating prosperity and delivering the ingredients for growth, we need to lobby hard for key infrastructure like improved transport networks and broadband. We must ensure our workforce has the necessary skills and aspirations and that our young people, whether graduates or apprentices, have the employment opportunities they need.
For more information on the work of the Heart of the South West, please visit www.heartofswlep.co.uk
Ends
Notes to Eds:
Media Opportunity: Tim Jones, Jeremy Filmer Bennett and Rupert Cox will be available for interview at the Tivertion Hotel, 16:00 – 17:00, 3rd April
For more information, contact Julie Everett at Coast Communications on 01752 847135 / 07866 002635
Heart of the South West
The Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has been formed under the leadership of the private sector supported by the local authorities from Devon, Plymouth, Somerset and Torbay and the area’s District Councils. It is one of 32 partnerships created since the Government’s Local Growth White Paper published in October 2010. More information about the work of the LEP is available from the website www.heartofswlep.co.uk.
