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Lord Haskins outlines plans for Humber LEP

A five-year plan for the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has been outlined by its Chairman Lord Haskins, in a bid to fulfil the Humber estuary’s full commercial potential.

Lord Haskins said the positioning of the Humber LEP was an advantage because it is home to the UK’s largest port complex, and has access to offshore wind, which could also be highly beneficial.

The development of a “super cluster” to develop offshore wind capacity has been set out, as the region hopes to come to the forefront of renewable fuel industries.

Lord Haskins commented: “Our Plan for the Humber is grounded in reality and [is] deliverable…Close working relationships both locally and with government are essential.

“The Humber’s offer for ports and energy leads the UK so we want to continue our excellent relationships with government departments to ensure that we reach our potential and play our part in the economic recovery.”

He added that improvements will be made by working with local and national partners to achieve growth for the region.

The Humber LEP plan will also try to capture more business through increased trade from its existing ports.

Further to Lord Haskin’s announcements, a £7m scheme has been offered to businesses in the Humber LEP, which will help projects that have halted due to lack of funds.

David Kilburn, Executive Chairman of MKM Building Supplies and Chair of the Humber LEP Investment Board commented on the multi million pound programme.

He said: “We are committed to the future prosperity of the area, and therefore we want to show greater confidence in plans for growth through the fund.

“The applications will be assessed by local businesses, for local businesses, and we have made the process as straightforward as possible.

“We really want people to come to talk to us so we can make a quick assessment of eligibility and then help them present their projects in a way that will maximise their chances of gaining funding.”

The fund can be accessed through the Department for Communities and Local Government’s Growing Places Fund, and is available to businesses of any size, with priority given to those who fit best with the LEP’s ultimate goals.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Miranda Dobson .