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On 4 August 2023, the UK Government announced that it would cease to provide core funding for LEPs from 1 April 2024 and instead support Local Authorities (LAs) to take on the functions currently delivered by LEPs.
Working with our partners, we are investing over £60 million in the Cumbrian economy to stimulate economic growth.
Our pipeline of projects and significant investment packages are creating and safeguarding thousands of jobs, providing modern new business space and levering in millions of pounds of additional private sector investment.
We work to build a strong economy by tackling barriers to sustainable growth and supporting job creation for the future prosperity of communities across Cumbria.
The Cumbria LEP is also working with businesses and the public and voluntary and community sectors to develop the county's new Local Industrial Strategy which will highlight Cumbria's strengths and make a compelling case to Government and the private sector for investment up to 2030.
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Barrow Waterfront
£7,178,470
Site reclamation and improvement work to transform derelict land into a business park for more employment and advanced manufacturing growth, including site clearance and levelling, decontamination work, removal of industrial debris, provision of utilities, landscaping and raised earthworks for flood protection measures.
Infrastructure funding – devolved majors
£7,600,000
Local transport schemes to support the movement of workers across Cumbria, provide better access to sustainable travel facilities and underpin the rail led strategy for major new investments within the county. This project includes delivery of new transport ‘hubs’ in Maryport and Workington, with extended parking facilities and improvements to vehicular, pedestrian and cycle access to the railway stations.
Optimising Connectivity 1 & 2
£2,750,000
Increasing the range of sustainable transport options available in the Lake District to improve transport links and connectivity to support business growth and a more diverse economy. The £2.75m investment over two programmes is increasing the range of sustainable transport options available in the Lake District, including highway improvement schemes in key tourist hotspots at Grasmere and for the Glebe in Windermere, the upgrading and reopening of the Keswick to Threlkeld Trail, cycleway improvements on Dunmail Raise and the creation of an off-road trail at Southern Windermere.
Cumbria Skills and Capital Programme
£3,160,000
Meeting the skills needs of employers in the county by upgrading or creating new learning spaces and enlarging the local workforce in line with the Skills Investment Plan. The programme includes targets to increase apprenticeships and investments in training provision and facilities for advanced manufacturing, STEM and agricultural disciplines, as well as niche skills such as overhead power lines training.
Connecting Cumbria
£3,600,000
Extending availability of Superfast Broadband technology across the county to encourage more rapid business growth, especially in rural areas.Phase 1 deployment has reached over 100,000 premises, whilst Phase 2 will extend availability to an additional 5,000 premises in more isolated rural areas with more complex technical needs. This will extend broadband coverage to approximately 95%.
Business flood recovery grants
£2,000,000
Flood recovery work and investment in flood resilience measures following the 2015 storms, working with Cumbria County Council, the Cumbria Growth Hub, and other partners to help businesses adversely affected by flooding. This has included additional money for a Flood Recovery Grant Scheme to help hundreds of local businesses recover more quickly and start trading again.
Furness College Advanced Manufacturing Centre
£1,126,000
Enabling students to develop skills on real-life projects for companies ranging from major employers to SMEs, it includes a metrology lab for the study of materials, learning hub, computer-aided design classrooms and an industrial-size workshop. It has space for up to 450 higher education students and 1,150 apprentices on STEM apprenticeships and HNC and degree programmes in engineering manufacturing and electrical and electronic engineering.
Carlisle College Advanced Manufacturing Centre
£900,000
A high-tech refurbishment with a simulated production line for training, the centre will cover three distinct disciplines: Manufacturing & Fabrication, Process & Control, and Design & Prototyping. It has been designed with input on layout from key local advanced manufacturing firms to deliver an integrated, employer led curriculum in the engineering, manufacturing and processing sectors.
M-Sport Evaluation Centre
£1,300,000
Investment supported the development of a state-of-the-art 10,723m2 Evaluation Centre. The multi-million-pound development will be the only one of its type in the UK and will see M-Sport create over 100 additional new high-value jobs once operational. In addition to the 2.5km testing track facility completed in 2017, the overall investment impact in terms of Gross Value Added (GVA) to Cumbria is estimated at £24.4m by December 2025.
SIS Pitches
£274,305
The company needed to grow both its premises and its workforce to meet increasing UK and international demand for its products. This project allowed SIS to invest in and expand its manufacturing and warehousing facilities at their factory in Maryport. The project aimed to safeguard the 42 FTE gross jobs on the site at present, as well as safeguard an estimated £1.8m in gross GVA per annum for the Cumbrian economy. In addition, future investment by the company over 5 years is expected to create 15 gross direct FTE jobs.
James Walker Flood Defences
£2,600,000
The project installed flood defences around the James Walker & Co Ltd site in Cockermouth, Cumbria. These measures have significantly reduced the business continuity risk of a future flood event, safeguarding the 406 jobs currently employed at the site, and leading to increased investment resulting in the creation of 30 new jobs and an additional £9.8 million of capital expenditure investment in the site by James Walker over the next 5 years.
Maximising Cumbria’s economic strengths
Manufacturing
A major concentration of productive manufacturing and engineering activity underpins the Cumbrian Economy. Our businesses excel in wood and paper production, nuclear and maritime engineering, and rubber, plastics and food production. A well-established tradition in apprenticeships supports a vibrant manufacturing workforce, with 16,000 people currently employed in the sector.
Clean Energy
Cumbria’s strong Clean Energy heritage will be key to reaching decarbonisation targets in the future. Our significant experience and capability in Nuclear and Offshore Wind supports a buoyant sector which together provide employment for well over 30,000 people in the County. Significant new growth can come from new developments in the next generation of new nuclear and wind energy, but also through small scale renewable energy projects, energy storage, carbon capture, development of our grid systems and other technologies.
Construction
Cumbria is home to some of the highest quality firms in the building sector, underpinned by the largest manufacturer of bricks in the UK. Cumbria’s unique rural qualities are reflected in our build and materials quality, and in the standards of Construction in our housing and business properties. The sector’s future growth prospects are intrinsically linked to the performance of the local and national economies; however, the construction sector plays an important role in generating additional economic activity.
Creative and Cultural
Cumbria can legitimately claim to be ‘England’s Natural Capital of Creativity and Culture’ having the most protected land of any area in England. We have a huge appetite for showcasing the creative and cultural industries and a hugely attractive place in which to develop a new cultural opportunity. This sector contributes in so many ways to the heritage of our county and will shape our future vibrancy as an amazing place to live, work and play.
Health and Social Care
The Health and Social Care Sector provides significant employment in the County with over 20,000 people currently employed in the Sector. Delivering across two healthcare footprints, the sector is driving significant innovation across Cumbria which will bring lifestyle and health benefits to our all our communities, supporting our largely rural, super-aging population.
Logistics
Logistics act as the supporting capability that “oil the wheels” of enterprise by the movement of people and goods, joining together clusters of business within and out with the region. Although a small sector Logistics enable value generation across the whole Cumbrian economy and can help us to gain maximum benefit from our strategic position to put Cumbria “on the map" at the heart of the UK to attract investment and enable growth of new opportunities.
Professional Services
Professional Services represents a wide range of businesses that provide essential support to all sectors, from accountancy and legal services through to veterinary and education services, linked together by people who are skilled in key professions. The county hosts significant expertise with a strong tradition of family firms delivering high quality services that keep our businesses functioning.
Rural
Our Rural community is central to our heritage and lifestyle, having shaped Cumbria over generations to be the unique landscape recognised by UNESCO. Our agricultural communities have never been a more important part of our economy and way of life, and will be set to significantly contribute to a low carbon future and overcome the effects of climate change.
Visitor Economy
Tourism is a key economic activity for Cumbria. Hosting two UNESCO World Heritage sites, and two national parks within it’s borders, the county attracts 47 million visits per year bringing around £3 billion to Cumbria’s economy and supporting 38,000 FTE jobs within the Sector.
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