Local Enterprise Partnership - LEP

What is a Local Enterprise Partnership?

As part of the coalition agreement Local Enterprise Partnerships - LEPs - have been set up to replace the regional development agencies. In June 2010 businesses and councils came together create Local Enterprise Partnerships that reflect geographically the natural economic areas of England.

We, along with the other Berkshire unitary authorities are now part of the Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership - TVB LEP). The local growth white paper, published in October 2010, sets out the roles that local enterprise partnerships can play depending on their local priorities.

Strategic Economic Plan - SEP

The Government’s response to the Heseltine Review confirmed its commitment to negotiate a growth deal with every Local Enterprise Partner.

Through growth deals Local Enterprise Partnerships can seek:

• Freedoms, flexibilities and influence over resources from government
• A share of the Local Growth Fund to achieve their identified growth priorities

In return the government expects LEPs to demonstrate that they are committed to the growth agenda. This includes expecting development of ambitious, multi-year strategic economic plans.

As part of this development the local authority members of the Thames Valley Local Enterprise Party, including us, have worked together to prioritise economic development and work collaboratively across the area.

4 schemes in our borough have been included in the implementation plan of the Strategic Economic Plan:

• Arborfield bypass 
• North Wokingham full distributor road
• South Wokingham full distributor road
• South of the M4 Eastern Relief Road 

The 4 distributor roads are planned in order to open up four Strategic Development Locations - SDLs. 

All 4 are in Wokingham borough and are no more than 4 miles apart. These developments will deliver 10,000 homes over the period to 2026.

The distributor road linked to the South of the M4 location -delivering 2500 homes in Shinfield - is already funded by a loan from the HCA Large Scale Development Fund.

The other 3 distributor road schemes require funding to deliver a complete highways network allowing the delivery of approximately 7500 new homes.

Find out more 

• View our major developments page
• Wokingham Borough Core Strategy 2010-2026  
• Arborfield Garrison Strategic Development Location Supplementary Planning Document May 2011
• North Wokingham Strategic Development Location Supplementary Planning Document October 2011
• South Wokingham Strategic Development Location Supplementary Planning Document October 2011

Contacts

To find out more email transportplanning@wokingham.gov.uk