Insider Media Limited

Enterprise zones should be about "picking winners" and need to be located where they can create new jobs in a location that is easily accessible. That was the message from a group of regeneration specialists at Insider’s recent round table event in Birmingham.

Anne O'Meara, partner at Squire Sanders Hammonds, told Insider: "It is important that people can get to work in these areas, and that brings in the issues of travel and transportation.

"There are still problems around connectivity. However, one of the benefits of the LEPs (local enterprise partnerships) is that there is some communication going on with central government to bring these matters up. The enterprise zones must be near to good connections and they must create jobs linked to inward investment."

Carol Barrie, tax consultant and head of property and construction at RSM Tenon in Birmingham, thought that the siting of enterprise zones should be determined by business-led thinking.

She added: "We have to avoid displacement. The previous round of enterprise zones in the 1980s proved to be of mixed success."

Alan White, who sits on the Worcestershire LEP board highlighted the difference between the Tory enterprise zones of the 1980s and the ones being pushed by the new government.

He said: "Before they were all about regeneration; this time around they’re about growth. The zones have to be sited where they can best play to the area’s strengths. What it’s all about this time around is picking winners, and growing on the back of already successful companies."

Stewart Towe, chairman of the Black Country LEP, laid out his organisation’s plans, saying: "In our case, we have to site zones where they adjacent to the Black Country, otherwise we’re going to create problems.

"We need to develop a ‘string of pearls’ targeted at industry-specific locations. However, what we don’t want is companies simply moving from A to B just to say they’re sited on Enterprise Zone. There has to be incentives for businesses that are showing growth."