Coast to Capital

Coast to Capital
Name	Coast to Capital
Formation	2010
Type	Local Enterprise Partnership
Headquarters	Gatwick
Region served	West Sussex; East Sussex; Brighton and Hove; Surrey; Croydon
Leader title	Chair
Leader name	Tim Oliver

Coast to Capital Coast to Capital is a Local Enterprise Partnership established in 2010 to drive regional growth across parts of southern England. It engages with civic actors such as local authorities, private firms including Gatwick Airport, and educational institutions such as University of Sussex to coordinate investment, skills provision, and infrastructure delivery. The partnership aligns with national programmes like High Speed 2 planning, interacts with funding bodies such as UK Research and Innovation and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and liaises with combined authorities and councils including West Sussex County Council and Brighton and Hove City Council.

History

The organisation was formed in response to the 2010 UK review of local growth led by figures associated with the Conservative Party and the Liberal Democrats coalition, mirroring the creation of other LEPs such as Greater London Authority-supported bodies and the New Anglia LEP. Early engagement involved private sector leaders from companies like Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. investors and executives from Gatwick Airport, collaborating with municipal leaders from Surrey County Council and Croydon Council. Coast to Capital developed strategic plans influenced by national strategies including the Local Growth White Paper and the Industrial Strategy. Through the 2010s it adjusted priorities around skills and innovation, interacting with entities such as Enterprise M3 and South East Midlands LEP for cross-boundary projects and responding to funding calls from European Regional Development Fund before reallocating to UK domestic replacement funding after Brexit.

Geography and Area Covered

The partnership’s geography spans urban and rural territories including Brighton and Hove, Chichester, Crawley, Horsham, Worthing, and parts of outer London Borough of Croydon. The area intersects with transport hubs such as Gatwick Airport and corridors served by rail operators like Southern (Govia Thameslink Railway) and Thameslink services, and road links including sections of the A23 road and M23 motorway. It overlaps with economic zones around Guildford and coastal communities such as Littlehampton and Shoreham-by-Sea, and borders adjoining LEPs including OxLEP and Coast to Capital-adjacent authorities in West Sussex and East Sussex.

Governance and Structure

Governance combines private-sector board members, local authority representatives from bodies such as East Sussex County Council and business leaders from firms like Capita and Amey, and advisory panels with academic partners such as University of Brighton. The board operates alongside specialist committees addressing skills, investment, and transport, coordinating with national organisations including Homes England on housing delivery and Network Rail on rail upgrades. Senior executive roles have engaged with civil servants from the Cabinet Office and ministers from the Department for Transport during funding negotiations. The governance model reflects statutory interfaces with bodies such as the Local Government Association and accords with accountability frameworks overseen by National Audit Office practices.

Economic Strategy and Priorities

Strategic priorities emphasise sectors including creative industries represented by clusters linked to Brighton Festival, advanced manufacturing with supply chains tied to Airbus suppliers, and digital technology working with partners like Tech Nation. Skills agendas coordinate with further education providers such as City College Brighton & Hove and higher education institutions including University of Chichester and University of Surrey to deliver apprenticeships aligned with national standards from Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education. Transport and connectivity priorities connect to projects associated with Gatwick Airport, rail capacity increases on corridors serving London Victoria and London Bridge, and improvements tied to the A27 road corridor. Innovation support links to grants and networks run by Innovate UK and regional demonstrators coordinated with initiatives such as the Northern Powerhouse and comparative LEP strategies.

Major Projects and Investments

Major investments have included business growth programmes supporting accelerator networks, capital grants to science and innovation parks adjacent to institutions like University of Sussex and University of Brighton, and infrastructure schemes collated with Gatwick Airport expansion planning. The partnership has sponsored town centre regeneration projects in places like Crawley and Worthing, backed transport interventions such as station improvements at Haywards Heath and interventions at junctions on the A23 road, and funded workspace provision for creative clusters near Brighton seafront. Project delivery has often required consortia with organisations such as Homes England, Network Rail, and private developers including Lendlease.

Partnerships and Funding

Funding sources include Growth Deal allocations from HM Treasury, match funding from local authorities such as Surrey County Council, and project-specific contributions from private sector partners including Gatwick Airport Limited. The partnership has applied for and administered grants from the European Regional Development Fund historically, and negotiated successor funds via UK Shared Prosperity Fund arrangements with central departments like Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Collaborative partnerships extend to chambers of commerce such as Brighton Chamber of Commerce, trade bodies like Federation of Small Businesses, and knowledge partners including SETsquared Partnership.

Performance and Impact

Performance metrics reported by the partnership reference job creation figures, private sector leverage, and business scale-ups supported through programmes connected to networks like Tech Nation and accelerators modeled on Founders Factory. Impact assessments draw on evaluation frameworks used by National Audit Office-aligned reviews and comparisons with peer LEPs such as Solent LEP and OxLEP. Outcomes include business growth in sectors such as digital, visitor economy boosts tied to festivals like Brighton Festival and transport outcomes influenced by capacity work around Gatwick Airport, though delivery outcomes have been assessed against national funding shifts following Brexit and evolving departmental priorities from the Cabinet Office.

Category:Local enterprise partnerships