There are now 30 Local Enterprise Partnerships in England, following government approval of a further two.
Ministers have given approval to an LEP for York and North Yorkshire and another, called Enterprise M3, which will cover parts of Hampshire and Surrey.
The government said LEPs now provide coverage to over 70% of England’s population, 1.4m businesses and 16m employees.
York and North Yorkshire covers an area with a population of 796,600 comprising the local authority areas of York and North Yorkshire; Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby.
Enterprise M3 covers parts of Hampshire and Surrey comprising a population of roughly 1m and supporting a £25bn economic area built around IT, financial services and research and development.
Business minister Mark Prisk said: “We are continuing to assess proposals for further partnerships across England, so that soon more local communities will benefit from the knowledge and expertise of the private sector and the opportunities that growth brings.”
nick.whitten@estatesgazette.com
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