Communities Secretary Sajid Javid today announced a cash boost of £29.45 million to help Greater Lincolnshire create jobs, support businesses and encourage growth.

The latest round of Local Growth Funding (also known as the Growth Deal) provides money for a new Centre for Health Science at the University of Lincoln, support for the establishment of three Food Enterprise Zones in Holbeach, Hemswell Cliff and Grimsby and a Skills Capital Programme across Greater Lincolnshire.

Other projects will also benefit which aim to improve educational attainment, create jobs, build homes or improve infrastructure.

This latest award of Local Growth Funding is in addition to £126.06 million of growth-related money already awarded to the Greater Lincolnshire LEP since July 2014. The total funding allocation could help to create or safeguard over 7,300 jobs, build 7,500 homes and attract £186 million in additional private sector investment over the next 10 years.

Local Growth Minister Andrew Percy MP said: “This latest £29.45 million funding will make a real difference to people in Greater Lincolnshire. As well as creating new jobs and supporting businesses, we’re investing in the next generation with a new skills programme to improve access to further education. It will give young people the tools they need to reach their potential.

“It is further proof that we will back the people of Greater Lincolnshire with resources to get the region firing on all cylinders, now and in years to come.”

The Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership has been negotiating with the Government and co-ordinating funding bids. Its Chair, Ursula Lidbetter MBE, said: “I am delighted to announce with Government today that the Greater Lincolnshire LEP has secured a further £29.45 million in Growth Deal funding for our area. 

“This announcement marks a further step in the growth of our economy and is an endorsement of our Strategic Economic Plan. In every experience I have had of backing local people and local initiatives, the results have exceeded expectations.

“Our LEP will be focusing closely on the schemes announced today and on delivering our growth promises.”

Plans in Greater Lincolnshire under Growth Deal 3 include:

  • £5 million for a new Centre for Health Science on the University of Lincoln campus. The centre, led by the University of Lincoln, will drive growth, productivity, higher level skills and innovation throughout the health and care sector.
  • £6.5 million for the three Food Enterprise Zones in Holbeach, Hemswell Cliff and Grimsby. The investment will support infrastructure and services to accelerate the development of the three zones, creating employment land and enabling key buildings specifically designed to support the growth and expansion of Greater Lincolnshire’s agrifood clusters.
  • A £6.5m Skills Capital Programme to deliver high-quality skills provision for people in Greater Lincolnshire. The programme will enable a flexible and appropriate response to the outcomes and recommendations of the current Area Review and will address HE and FE priorities and opportunities. Amongst schemes right across Greater Lincolnshire, it will consider schemes already proposed for delivery in Scunthorpe and Boston.​

Other schemes to benefit are:

  • Gainsborough Growth Project (£4m)
  • Junction improvements on the A46 around Lincoln (£2.5m)
  • A17 Sutterton Roundabout Pinch Point Scheme (£1m)
  • Sleaford Growth Project (£2m)
  • Advanced Engineering Research and Development Centre, Lincoln (£1.95m)

Mark Tinsley, the Greater Lincolnshire LEP’s Lead Board Director for Food and Farming, welcomed the funding for the three Food Enterprise Zones.

“We are delighted with this recognition of Greater Lincolnshire’s agriculture and food industries,” he said.

“The £6.5 million investment into our three Food Enterprise Zones will be a very positive stimulus and emphasises the importance of the positive collaboration between Greater Lincolnshire’s LEP and our local authorities when it comes to securing funding.”

Professor Mary Stuart, Vice Chancellor of the University of Lincoln, commented: “We are delighted to have been awarded Growth Deal funding towards a new Greater Lincolnshire Centre for Health Science.

“Working with partners across the local NHS and wider health community, this investment will help us to develop a centre that will address some of the many challenges and opportunities facing health and medicine in our region, from supplying workforce skills to developing new medical innovations.

“We will now seek the additional funding required to make this centre a reality. As well as providing a new home for researchers from our Lincoln Institute for Health, the centre will house state-of-the-art clinical spaces for teaching and professional development across a range of health professions.

“The creation of the Centre for Health Science will be a significant step towards the long-term aspiration of establishing a medical school for Lincolnshire, supporting our ambitions to secure for the county some of the additional medical school places announced by the Government in October last year.”

Previous Growth Deal funding for Greater Lincolnshire has supported a number of important schemes, including:

  • the Grantham Southern Relief Road
  • a new specialist land-based campus on the Lincolnshire Showground for Bishop Burton College
  • the Boole Technology Centre on the Lincoln Science and Innovation Park
  • the Lincolnshire Lakes housing development in Scunthorpe
  • the Boston Quadrant housing and stadium development
  • Skegness Countryside Business Park
  • Lincoln Transport Hub
  • East-West Growth Corridor in Lincoln
  • Agrifood centre of Excellence in Holbeach

Today’s announcement brings total Growth Deal funding secured for Greater Lincolnshire since July 2014 to £155.45 million.