Regeneration body scrapped to make way for LEP

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A regeneration partnership for north Staffordshire will be wound up after councillors in Stoke-on-Trent backed plans to form a local enterprise partnership (LEP).

At a meeting of Stoke Council, councilors voted to scrap the North Staffordshire Regeneration Partnership and give delegated powers to the executive team to progress with an LEP application submission on behalf of the council.

The council is seeking to pursue a LEP along with councils in Staffordshire and the leader and chief executive will work with partners in other bodies to determine how this will take shape.

It follows the government’s decision to abolish regional development agencies (RDAs) and instead encourage local authorities and businesses to become the leaders of economic development in their area. 

The council says that by forming an LEP, rather than continuing with the NSRP, the area will have more opportunities for future funding.

The NSRP is a partnership of local organisations centred on Stoke but including other north Staffordshire local authorities and the RDA Advantage West Midlands.

Its remit covers investment and regeneration in North Staffordshire.

The decision follows the announcement of the departure of the NSRP’s managing director. Tom Macartney, who is also director of regeneration at the city council, will leave both positions in September.

Hardial Bhogal, the chief operating officer of the NSRP, will take temporary control of the regeneration department.

Mohammed Pervez, leader of Stoke Council, said:

‘The city council remains committed to the delivery of a sustainable regeneration programme in North Staffordshire.'

Local blog Pits n Pots revealed last week that four proposals had been put before Stoke Council including the option to stay in the current NSRP.

The other options were to operate independently and to form a new LEP for North Staffordshire and Cheshire East.

In May, Newcastle Borough Council pulled out of the NSRP citing its desire to work with partners in south Cheshire and the slow speed of delivery on the partnership’s programme.