Council to replace renewal body with LEP
Stoke-on-Trent City Council has announced it will replace its troubled renewal body with a Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP). The news comes days after the director of regeneration, Tom Macartney, announced his departure from the council.
Mohammed Pervez, leader of Stoke City Council, said: “Forming an LEP rather than continuing with the current NSRP [North Staffordshire Regeneration Project] partnership will provide the area with more opportunities for future funding.”
The NSRP was hit recently by the departure of both Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council and Staffordshire Moorlands District Council.
Pervez said: “There are currently a lot of government changes underway which is affecting the governance of these schemes but importantly has not and will not affect the delivery.
"We are currently looking to pursue a Local Enterprise Partnership for Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire and are working with partners on how this will take shape.
“The new LEP model follows the government’s decision to abolish regional development agencies, such as Advantage West Midlands, in favour of supporting the role of local authorities and businesses as the key leaders of economic development.”
It was announced last week that regeneration boss Macartney would leave his post at the end of September.
