Enterprise Zone gets £12m investment

The Lancashire Enterprise Partnership has been handed £12.4m from a government fund set up to help accelerate work on Enterprise Zones.

The bid, which has been approved subject to due diligence, will fund work to improve the infrastructure of the Lancashire Enterprise Zone site at Samlesbury, including improved access from the A59. The Lancashire bid was one of just nine in the country to get the go-ahead.

Edwin Booth, chairman of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, said: "I welcome this new funding which will certainly help us to accelerate our plans. We're already making strong progress in preparing for businesses to set up in our Enterprise Zone and this is further evidence of government confidence in what we are doing.”

Cliff Robson, industrial capability director, BAE Systems, said: "This is excellent news and testament to the robust plans put in place for the Enterprise Zone. BAE Systems will continue! to work with the LEP in doing all we can to make the Enterprise Zone a success."

In spite of being one of the last Enterprise Zones to be approved, Lancashire's is now one of the most advanced in the country, with significant interest from businesses, a master plan in place, and approval for local development orders.

Work on developing the Samlesbury site is due to begin later this year, with companies beginning to move in during 2015. This fund is part of the Local Infrastructure Fund announced in the Government's Autumn Statement, which provides £474m to support upfront infrastructure investment and other site preparation works that will support economic growth, jobs and homes.