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400 business leaders attend Heart of the South West LEP events

Over 400 business leaders, individuals and representatives attended a series of Business Partnership planning sessions across the area last week (8th and 9th February).

Run by Heart of the South West (HotSW), the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) for Devon, Somerset, Plymouth and Torbay, the events were designed to showcase the proposals for the partnership and gather feedback from attendees.

The short seminars, held in Plymouth, Exeter, Ilminster and Bridgwater, were attended by a wide variety of organisations and individuals from throughout the area.

HotSW Chief Executive Jeremy Filmer-Bennett welcomed the area’s businesses and individuals to the events, outlining the evolution of the partnership and highlighting progress on issues such as the Growing Places Fund, and the signing of the trade agreement with UKTI, before opening the floor to discussions on the draft business plan.

Tim Jones, Chairman of HotSW said: “We are pleased by the number of people who attended the events and the calibre of feedback – it shows real tangible progress for the Partnership.

“HotSW is committed to capitalising on the area’s unique assets and will focus on key priorities that will make a real difference: the decisions may not always be popular, but they are fundamental to growing the economy.

“Businesses are the lifeblood of our economy, creating the area’s potential for growth.   We need to ensure our business plan reflects the needs of our area and our employers, so we will continue to work closely with our partners, keeping everyone informed throughout.”

LEP Board Member and Somerset Councillor David Hall said: “The popularity of these events demonstrate how HotSW is taking off and how businesses are working closely with the Partnership. It is a clear sign of how both public and private sector can work together to achieve economic growth across our counties.

“It is vital that we take a united and coherent approach to improve our productivity, our prosperity and these events are helping us to achieve that.

To read the business plan, comment on the proposals and find out more about the Partnership, visit the HotSW website www.heartofswlep.co.uk

ENDS

Notes to Eds:

For more information, contact Liz Waugh or Julie Everett at Coast Communications on 01752 847135 / 07966 388921

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.

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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.