Minister checks in on Samlesbury enterprise zone

Minister for Local Growth and the Northern Powerhouse James Wharton visited the Samlesbury, one of two sites making up the Lancashire Enterprise Zone, for a progress update.

The visit was hosted by the leader of Lancashire County Council Jennifer Mein and Graham Cowley, board members of Lancashire Enterprise Partnership and representatives from BAE Systems.

James Wharton said: “As part of our long-term economic plan we’re determined to back business across Lancashire and this Enterprise Zone offers real opportunities to create thousands of highly-skilled jobs for local people as part of the Northern Powerhouse.

Overall, the LEP is delivering economic development through a £1bn investment programme which includes the programmes City Deal, Growth Deal, Growing Places and Boost Business Lancashire.

Work by Lancashire County Council on the gateway to the first phase of development at Samlesbury, a new access road off the A59, will be completed in August 2016 and then followed by a further junction access from the A677 and a connecting spine road to the EZ. This is one of a number of significant highways infrastructure improvements by the council across the county.

The minister heard how Lancashire is ‘No 1 for Aerospace’, with 120 businesses employing over 28,000 in the sector valued at nearly £4bn local GVA generated, and that Transport for Lancashire is driving forward a single transport agenda for Lancashire, to align with an emerging vision for Transport for the North.