Edwin Booth to step down as LEP chair

Edwin Booth will step down as chair of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership after a seven-year tenure which has seen the county draw in more than £1bn of investment.

The organisation's highlights include the formation of Boost, a Growth Deal, a City Deal, three Enterprise Zones and Transport for Lancashire.

worked with nearly 5,000 local SMEs

The £320m Growth Deal is the largest secured outside the core city regions, and is on track to deliver up to 11,000 new jobs, 3,900 new homes, and £1.2bn in new private sector investment by 2021.

Preston, South Ribble and Lancashire City Deal

The Lancashire Enterprise Zone cluster programme, based on three zones across four sites, is focused on creating 10,000 new jobs in the advanced engineering and manufacturing, energy and chemical sectors.

An Employment and Skills Board was created to direct the investment of a £30m Growth Deal Skills Capital Fund.

The LEP was also the first to join the Northern Powerhouse and has been a significant voice in calling for both collaboration and devolution.

Edwin said: “It has been a great honour to lead the LEP, working with a dedicated group of directors, but most of all working on behalf of the people of Lancashire. Some of the most rewarding projects that I have been involved in are those that link businesses with young people to help raise their aspirations.