UK development to rely on volunteers

The old Regional Development Agencies are being replaced by 36 voluntary organisations called Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) – that are without any money of their own, having to bid for pots of money to win investment funds.

Doug Morrison, port director of Southampton ABP and chair of one of the new partnerships put it quite bluntly. At a recent event hosted by the Port of Southampton he said “If this LEP doesn’t deliver what it needs to, businesses won’t be involved in it for very long. We all have too much to do in our day jobs.”

Iain Shepherd chair of Marine South East said, “Everyone is on a limited timescale. If the LEPs can do something, and do it quickly, then we will be able to go forward. If we can’t deliver, then they will die because businesses – who are the heart of this – simply won’t think it worthwhile continuing to make the effort.”

The changes could make a rough road even rockier. Mr Morrison adds that the UK’s maritime industry “isn’t good at punching its weight” when it comes to getting its needs met. “We have the same issues about planning and transport connections as any other section, but in the halls of Westminster the message does not get across effectively enough. This isn’t so much a criticism of Government but more of our industry”.