/ Key Initiatives / Overview

The LEP’s strong strategic focus has secured a £1 billion growth plan involving over 50 major growth initiatives.

Our £320 million Growth Deal – the largest secured outside the core city regions, is on track to deliver up to 11,000 new jobs, 3,900 new homes, and leverage £1.2 billion in new private sector investment by 2021.

Examples of the projects we support include:

Innovation & Enterprise

  • £20m funding for the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre North West, an applied research centre at the Samlesbury Enterprise Zone, providing the tools and technologies Lancashire and North West manufacturing companies need to compete globally
  • £17m funding for the Lancaster Health Innovation Campus, a £41m multi-phase campus at Lancaster University, providing Research & Development facilities to develop health-related care services and technologies
  • £10.5m funding for UCLan’s state-of-the-art Engineering and Innovation Centre, which will shape the future of engineering skills development in the North West
  • £6.2m funding for the Lancashire Energy HQ in Blackpool, a national centre of training for the energy sector
  • £4.3m funding for Runshaw College’s Science & Engineering teaching facility
  • £3m funding for Myerscough College’s Farm Innovation Technology Centre, an innovation hub for the farming industry and apprentices   
  • £3m funding for Edge Hill University’s Innovation Technology Hub, a centre for teaching and enterprise in Digital Creative Industries and Food Science   
  • Ongoing investment in the Lancashire Advanced Manufacturing and Enterprise Cluster (LAMEC) – three Zones across four sites capable of supporting 10,000 new jobs in the advanced engineering and manufacturing, energy and chemical sectors.

Transport & Connectivity

  • £58m funding for the Preston Western Distributor, a major new road linking Preston and South Fylde to the M55
  • £16.4m funding for Blackpool Tramway, a £22m integration of tram and rail networks at Blackpool North
  • £15.5m funding for the A6 Broughton By-Pass, which opened in 2017 to relieve congestion on the A6 north of Preston, unlocking housing sites
  • £12.4m funding for the Blackburn – Bolton Rail Corridor – station improvements to allow more frequent and reliable trains between East Lancashire and Greater Manchester
  • £12m funding for the Pennine Gateways scheme, a transport infrastructure project to improve access and traffic flow in and around Blackburn.

Regeneration, Housing & Infrastructure 

  • £16.25m funding for the South Lancaster Housing Growth initiative, a major infrastructure project which will stimulate investment in new housing and commercial sites
  • £15m funding for the Blackpool Conference & Exhibition Centre, a new £28m conference centre and hotel at Blackpool’s famous Winter Gardens, enabling Lancashire to compete for new opportunities
  • £6m funding for Preston City Centre improvements around Fishergate, the Guildhall Theatre and Preston Bus Station
  • £4.95m funding for Northlight, a conversion project which has transformed the former Brierfield Mill site in Pendle into a major mixed-use development
  • £4.89m funding for the North West Burnley Growth Corridor, a programme of new flood defences and public realm improvements to increase housing in Padiham
  • £4m funding for the Lomeshaye Industrial Estate Extension, for a new strategic employment site in Pendle connected to the A6068.

Skills & Employment

  • The funding and management of Lancashire’s Skills & Employment Hub, the county’s strategic body for skills and training development
  • The establishment of the Lancashire Enterprise Adviser Network, a network of 134 local volunteer business leaders (Enterprise Advisers) supporting 120 Lancashire secondary schools and colleges’ Careers and Enterprise Plans
  • The creation of Lancashire’s Social Value Tool Kit, an employers’ guide to delivering more inclusive growth
  • The UK’s first Local Digital Skills Partnership in the country, in partnership with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, to raise digital skills at every level
  • The creation of the Lancashire Labour Market Intelligence (LMI) Toolkit, providing local partners with a rich source of LMI data by Lancashire’s six Travel to Work areas
  • The development of Lancashire’s 2030 Technical Education Vision, the county’s technical training roadmap

Business Support & Finance

  • The funding and management of Lancashire’s Business Growth Hub, Boost, which helps businesses with growth support and advice
  • Since 2013 Boost has supported over 5,000 businesses, of which 3,000 have benefited from more intensive support
  • An additional £74m of economic activity has been added to the local economy through Boost
  • Boost has also helped to create more than 2,200 new jobs and has supported over 600 new businesses
  • Further, Boost helps to deliver the Access to Finance service, a programme which helps growing Lancashire companies secure new investment to scale-up from a range of different sources including Angel Investors and government-back funds.
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