3
Foreword
The Local Enterprise Partnership is a catalyst, that is listening
to the needs of Worcestershire, seeking to broker collaboration
to create new jobs, supporting new businesses and the longevity
and growth of existing businesses.
Worcestershire has declared that it is ‘Open for Business’ and the
LEP is keen to support local businesses achieve even more success
in the competitive UK and global marketplace. Now we must project
the many and unique qualities that exist across the County in order
to attract further economic growth and activity.
The Worcestershire LEP cannot and should not act in isolation.
Effective solutions, positive impacts and tangible delivery will
happen through working together, whether it is alongside established
partnerships and interest groups in the County or through strategic
collaboration with other LEPs with mutual specific ambitions. In
many ways it provides the “golden thread” between challenging
high level ambitions and driving the delivery of grassroots activities
within the themes identified.
So what is it that we will do differently in order to achieve more
positive results? Well, we will be proactive in seeking investors,
enabling development, reducing barriers, red tape and processes,
supporting our key business sectors and in projecting to the ‘world’
the fantastic assets that we enjoy here in Worcestershire.
This business plan therefore sets the scene for moving forward,
highlighting where the LEP will make a difference and can add value.
In order to make a real change it will be important that the LEP provides
proactive leadership to achieve results and the desired outcomes,
but the partnership will also need to be reactive to opportunities
that are presented to it. This business plan therefore describes how
partners and stakeholders will work together to support the LEP to
achieve the required results.
The LEP is a cog in a bigger wheel comprising many partners
responsible for innovation and delivery across Worcestershire,
across the Midlands and in a national and Government context.
By removing barriers and enhancing opportunities, the LEP will
broker solutions which enable diverse businesses to establish,
invest, consolidate and grow. The LEP’s Delivery Plans demonstrate
what the LEP is doing, and how it is influencing, supporting and
delivering to benefit Worcestershire’s economic growth.
The Local Enterprise Partnership, in defining its key outcomes,
has outlined that the partnership must create the right
economic environment for Worcestershire in both the
more immediate and long term future. In Worcestershire,
the Shenstone Group, comprising the leaders of the
key organisations across all sectors, is defining
a vision for the County for the next 25 years.
The Worcestershire Local Enterprise
Partnership therefore calls on all partners
to play an active role in supporting us,
as we move forward, participate in
the on-going discussion and ideas
generation to exploit the fantastic
opportunities that
Worcestershire presents.
Peter E Pawsey
CEng FICE FCIHT FCMI
Executive Chair
