Steve Double, Member of Parliament for St Austell and Newquay, has welcomed the announcement from the Government that Cornwall Council and the Cornwall Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) will be allowed to bid for Enterprise Zone status.
Ministers want local business and civic leaders to encourage firms with shared interests to stand together and form a stronger commercial proposition. This includes building on the commercial strengths of rural areas, and to seize the economic initiative by identifying businesses on their patch with investment or export potential.
Enterprise Zones, if supported by a strong business case, will enable places to drive growth and jobs creation. They bring with them a raft of benefits to businesses including lower taxes, access to superfast broadband and streamlined planning permission to boost local infrastructure.
Commenting Steve said,
“I would absolutely encourage Cornwall Council and the Cornwall LEP to work together and come up with an innovative and exciting new plan to gain Cornwall Enterprise Zone status. This area is renowned for seeing innovative new business starting up run by entrepreneurial people who are up for a challenge, so there is definitely no shortage of creativity or ingenuity in our County. What Cornwall Council and the LEP need to do is harness this growing potential and promote it, and that our plan gets the very best chance to succeed. I welcome this opportunity and will actively work with all involved parties to give it all the help I can provide.
Minister for Local Growth James Wharton said:
“Enterprise Zones are creating thousands of jobs, attracting billions of pounds of investment. Britain is a great place to do business and this is a chance for local areas to build on their benefits. As part of our long-term economic plan it is only right we allow more to share our national success.
“With this new round of Enterprise Zones even more areas and businesses will be able to benefit from the support they bring. Only the very best bids will succeed but this is a chance for council leaders and businesses to make their case and secure a real boost to the local economy.”
The Government is building on the success of the existing 24 Enterprise Zones which by last December had attracted 15,500 jobs around the country since they opened over the past three years and delivered a multibillion-pound boost to local economies.”