Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership

Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership
Name	Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership
Abbreviation	BCLIP
Formation	2011
Region served	Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, Wolverhampton

Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership

The Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership is a regional economic consortium formed in 2011 to coordinate investment and regeneration across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, and Wolverhampton following national initiatives such as the Localism Act 2011, the Browne Review, and the City Deal agenda, working alongside bodies including West Midlands Combined Authority, Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership, UK Government departments, and major stakeholders like HS2 Ltd and British Steel. The partnership has been involved with strategic plans linked to the National Infrastructure Commission, the Midlands Engine programme, and regional schemes influenced by the Industrial Strategy White Paper, coordinating with institutions such as University of Wolverhampton, University of Birmingham, and Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C. to leverage local assets.

History

The partnership was established in the wake of the 2010 United Kingdom general election and the subsequent policy environment shaped by the Treasury and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, responding to calls from local authorities including Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council, Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council, Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council, and Wolverhampton City Council to access funding mechanisms like the Local Growth Fund and the European Regional Development Fund. Early programmes referenced the legacy of the Industrial Revolution, the heritage of figures such as Matthew Boulton and James Watt, and regeneration case studies like Liverpool ONE and the Manchester Ship Canal redevelopment, while negotiating devolution conversations that later involved the West Midlands Combined Authority and leaders such as Andy Street. Over subsequent years the partnership aligned with initiatives promoted by High Speed 2, the Midlands Engine, and the National Skills Academy network, adapting strategies after events including the Brexit referendum and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Structure and governance

Governance arrangements mirror models seen in other LEPs such as Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership and LEP Core Cities Group, with a board comprising private sector chairs, local authority leaders from Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, and Wolverhampton, and representatives from organisations like Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Small Businesses, West Midlands Growth Company and higher education partners including University of Wolverhampton and University of Birmingham. Operational delivery has been overseen by executive directors and programme managers accountable to audit bodies such as the National Audit Office and subject to scrutiny by select committees in the House of Commons, while funding allocations have been managed through grant agreements with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and reporting aligned to standards promoted by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.

Economic strategy and priorities

Strategic priorities have focused on advanced manufacturing clusters tied to legacy firms like JCB, Aston Martin, and Rolls-Royce Holdings, digital innovation ecosystems linked to incubators akin to Tech Nation and Innovation Birmingham, and skills pipelines coordinated with training providers such as City of Wolverhampton College and South and City College Birmingham. The partnership targeted sectors highlighted in national frameworks — including automotive supply chains connected to Jaguar Land Rover, energy technologies relevant to National Grid, and logistics proximate to hubs like Birmingham Airport and the M6 motorway corridor — while promoting place-based regeneration projects reminiscent of schemes in Salford Quays and Coventry City Centre.

Major projects and investments

Major programmes have included brownfield regeneration reminiscent of King's Cross redevelopment, town centre revitalisation comparable to Coventry Cathedral Quarter, and enterprise zone activity similar to the Telford International Centre model, with investment from sources such as the Local Growth Fund, European Investment Bank-style instruments, and private equity partners. Notable projects involved land reclamation at former industrial sites once associated with British Steel and canal-side developments linked to the Walsall Canal and the Dudley Canal network, alongside transport enhancements coordinated with Network Rail, Transport for West Midlands, and strategic links advocated for by HS2 Ltd.

Business support and partnerships

Business support delivery utilized networks including local Chamber of Commerce, Federation of Small Businesses, sector bodies like the Manufacturing Technologies Association and innovation intermediaries such as Catapult centres, with collaboration on skills and apprenticeships alongside providers like West Midlands Apprenticeship Hub and national funders including the National Lottery Heritage Fund for heritage-led initiatives. Partnerships extended to private investors, philanthropic foundations, commercial developers comparable to St. Modwen Properties, and international trade promotion via Department for International Trade connections to markets promoted by UK Export Finance.

Performance and impact

Evaluation of outputs referenced indicators used by the Office for National Statistics, including job creation metrics, investment leverage ratios, and commercial floor space brought forward, with periodic assessments by bodies such as the National Audit Office and comparisons drawn with outcomes in LEPs like Leeds City Region and Tees Valley. Reported successes included unlocking brownfield sites, supporting small and medium enterprises similar to beneficiaries of Growth Hubs, and catalysing infrastructure enabling private sector investment, while performance metrics were presented to local scrutiny via council cabinet reports from Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council and Wolverhampton City Council.

Criticism and controversies

The partnership faced scrutiny similar to issues raised at other LEPs, including transparency concerns highlighted by Public Accounts Committee inquiries, debates over governance models reminiscent of controversies at Tees Valley Combined Authority, and tensions over funding prioritisation raised by local stakeholders and unions such as Unite the Union. Criticisms included perceived bias toward specific development interests analogous to disputes surrounding HS2 routing, challenges in demonstrating additionality comparable to debates over Local Growth Fund allocations, and calls for greater accountability from MPs in constituencies like Dudley North and Wolverhampton South East.

Category:Local enterprise partnerships