Heart of the South West LEP

Heart of the South West LEP
Name	Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership
Formation	2011
Region served	Devon and Somerset, UK
Headquarters	Exeter
Leader title	Chair
Leader name	Sir Tim Sainsbury

Heart of the South West LEP

The Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership operated as a regional development partnership covering parts of Devon, Somerset, Plymouth, Torbay and surrounding districts, coordinating investment, skills, infrastructure and business support across constituencies represented in Exeter, Taunton, Plymouth (city), Barnstaple, Bridgwater and Tiverton. Formed in the wave of post-2010 regional initiatives linked to the Localism Act 2011 and the BIS policy environment, it interfaced with national bodies such as HM Treasury, Department for Transport, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and agencies including Highways England and Homes England.

History

The LEP was established amid austerity-era reform alongside contemporaries like Greater Manchester Combined Authority, West Midlands Combined Authority, New Anglia LEP and Heart of the South West Local Enterprise Partnership-adjacent structures, responding to national agendas exemplified by the Northern Powerhouse and City Deals programs. Early partnerships drew on legacy institutions such as Devon County Council, Somerset County Council, Plymouth City Council, Torbay Council, and district councils, while aligning strategies with European Regional Development Fund priorities and adapting to the later withdrawal of European Investment Bank and European Union funds after the Brexit referendum. Prominent stakeholders over time included figures linked to Sainsbury family interests, board members with links to University of Exeter, Plymouth University, Petroc, Bridgwater College, and private sector partners drawn from Royal Navy supplier networks centered on HMNB Devonport.

Geography and Constituency

The partnership’s remit spanned a diverse geography from the urban port of Plymouth (city) and the UNESCO-associated landscapes around Dartmoor National Park to coastal towns like Torquay, Ilfracombe, Weymouth-adjacent zones, and agricultural hinterlands tied to commodity chains reaching Exeter Airport and Bristol Channel ports. Constituency stakeholders included unitary authorities such as Plymouth City Council and Torbay Council, two-tier counties Devon and Somerset, and district councils like South Somerset District Council, Mid Devon District Council, North Devon District Council, West Somerset District Council, Taunton Deane entities, and enterprise partners linked to South West Coast Path, Dartmoor, Exmoor National Park, and maritime clusters around Royal Navy dockyards.

Governance and Leadership

The board incorporated private-sector chairs, political appointees from councils including leaders from Devon County Council and Somerset County Council, and academic representatives from University of Exeter, Plymouth University, and Falmouth University-adjacent collaborations. It reported against national oversight involving Cabinet Office frameworks and interfaced with inspectorates related to National Audit Office scrutiny. Leadership cycles involved persons with commercial links to companies such as Babcock International, EDF Energy, SSE plc, and consultancy groups once advising PricewaterhouseCoopers and KPMG on regional investment. The organisation coordinated with transport bodies including Network Rail and local enterprise stakeholders from South West Water, Environment Agency, and health providers like NHS England trusts.

Strategic Priorities and Plans

Plans emphasized infrastructure upgrades, skills pipelines, business growth, and housing aligned with national schemes like Local Growth Fund and Growth Deal templates used by LEPs such as Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority and Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership. Priorities highlighted connectivity projects involving M5 motorway, A38 road, rail corridors linking Exeter St Davids, Taunton railway station, and ports such as Port of Plymouth and Port of Bristol flows, plus skills strategies linked to apprenticeships under Education and Skills Funding Agency regimes and collaborative research with European Space Agency-connected firms and marine tech clusters around Plymouth Marine Laboratory.

Major Projects and Investments

Key investments included town centre regeneration schemes in Exeter and Taunton, skills hubs at institutions like Petroc and Bridgwater College, support for advanced manufacturing near HMNB Devonport and energy projects tied to Hinkley Point C and offshore wind developers such as Orsted and Siemens Gamesa. Transport schemes intersected with South West Rail Resilience Programme priorities, while housing interventions referenced joint work with Homes England and planning authorities using models from London Legacy Development Corporation-style regeneration. Business support initiatives mirrored incubator models from Tech Nation and accelerator partnerships similar to Innovate UK collaborations.

Economic Impact and Performance

Performance metrics were reported in terms comparable to other subregional bodies like Greater Lincolnshire LEP and Tees Valley Combined Authority, covering job creation, gross value added changes, and capital leveraged via Local Growth Fund awards and private co-investment. Outcomes linked to sectors prevalent locally—maritime, aerospace suppliers feeding Rolls-Royce, nuclear supply chains serving EDF Energy at Hinkley Point, tourism linked to English Riviera, and agriculture tied to Somerset Levels—showed mixed results amid national trends traced in Office for National Statistics publications and analyses by Centre for Cities and Institute for Fiscal Studies.

Criticism and Controversies

The partnership faced scrutiny similar to controversies affecting other LEPs such as Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough LEP and Leeds City Region Business, including debates over transparency, board conflicts of interest involving private-sector chairs with links to companies like Sainsbury's and defense contractors, and challenges after the withdrawal of European Regional Development Fund monies post-Brexit. Local media outlets such as the Western Morning News, BBC News, and The Guardian covered disputes over project prioritisation, accountability to local councils, and the efficacy of growth deals versus devolved models like those advocated by Metro Mayors and combined authorities.

Category:Local enterprise partnerships