Decision details

Following consultation with all Members, a consultation response on the first version of the draft Local Industrial Strategy (LIS) was sent to NALEP by the Leader of the Council.  A second version of this document is to be provided by NALEP and the Council will once more be consulted. Depending on the content of the second draft of the LIS, the Leader of the Council will be asked to either:

1.Endorse the content on the NALEP draft LIS on behalf of West Suffolk Council; or

2. Send further representations to NALEP as to why the document cannot be endorsed by West Suffolk Council.

RESOLVED: That:

Subject to the content of the new draft Local Industrial Strategy (not yet received), the Leader of the Council has made the decision to either:

(1)     endorse the content of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership’s draft Local Industrial Strategy on behalf of West Suffolk Council: or

(2)     send further representations to New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership as to why the document cannot be endorsed by West Suffolk Council.

West Suffolk Council was invited to provide comments on the first draft of NALEP’s Local Industrial Strategy (LIS) by 27 August 2019 with the view that a second draft would be provided on 13 September 2019.  The second draft of the LIS included a very high percentage of the points made by the Council.  However two key points were missing – reference to the importance of the Horse Racing Industry to the local and national economy and reference to the huge opportunity the Western Way Development would bring.  NALEP has accepted that these two points can be included in a third draft of the LIS that will be issued on 19 September 2019.  Depending upon the content of the new draft LIS, the response from the Leader of the Council on behalf of West Suffolk Council will be either to endorse the draft LIS or to give an explanation as to why it cannot be endorsed.

Not to respond to the consultation; however it is imperative that West Suffolk Council submits its representations to demonstrate its support for growth in West Suffolk and area. It is not yet clear what funding for growth and infrastructure is going to look like post March 2020.  But NALEP consider, through the development of its LIS, this to be an important opportunity to show Government the future potential of the Norfolk and Suffolk economy and why it makes sense for private and public investment to come here.