Greater Manchester business leader visits 10 Downing Street

The Chairman of Greater Manchester’s Local Enterprise Partnership was in London this week to meet the Prime Minister.

Mike Blackburn, who is also BT’s Regional Director for the North West, attended a reception at Downing Street on Tuesday along with Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles.

David Cameron praised the work the leaders of 35 Local Enterprise Partnerships are doing to transform local economies and encouraged them to go further to deliver long lasting growth.

The partnerships were set up to be powerful coalitions of the private and public sectors, and the meeting coincided with the publication of new government guidance for Local Enterprise Partnerships on how to access £2 billion funding per year through Growth Deal negotiations.

The Growth Deals, announced at the last Spending Round, are a something-for-something approach that gives Local Enterprise Partnerships greater decision making powers over key central government funding, including transport and skills, and will award resources according to their strategic plans for economic development.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said: “Local Enterprise Partnerships are driving growth across the country with energy and imagination.

“This Government made sure that the Spending Round put more fuel in their tanks, and local leaders can now make use of £2 billion a year to support new businesses, create new jobs and thriving communities, and make Britain a great place to do business.”