Local Growth Minister Penny Mordaunt MP was in Lincoln yesterday (Tuesday) to sign Greater Lincolnshire's Growth Deal worth £111.2 million.
Ms Mordaunt was at the Joseph Banks Laboratories on the new Lincoln Science and Innovation Park to sign the deal with Ursula Lidbetter MBE, Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, and leaders of the three local authorities which will benefit: Lincolnshire, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire Council.
She also braved the bad weather to visit Lincoln South Fire Station and Lincoln Castle to see work on Lincoln Castle Revealed project.
The Growth Deal negotiated by the Greater Lincolnshire LEP will bring £48.3M of investment in the first year (2015/16) and a further £62.9M from 2016/17 onwards.
One of the projects which will benefit from Growth Deal funding is the Boole Technology Centre which will be created on the science park.
The Boole Technology Centre is a new £6.75M 3,000m2 development that will complete the first phase of the Lincoln Science and Innovation Park, a joint venture between the Lincolnshire Co-op and the University of Lincoln.
When complete it will provide a combination of laboratory, workshop, office technical equipment and shared working space for key Lincolnshire sectors and supply chains and will house between 95 and 140 highly skilled employees when fully occupied.
Penny Mordaunt MP, who is a Minister in the Department for Communities and Local Government, said: “The Government’s long-term economic plan to rebalance the economy is starting to pay off and helping create thousands of jobs in all four corners of the country.
“Growth Deals are playing an important part and giving areas such as Greater Lincolnshire the power to put in place the infrastructure they need to thrive.
“This deal is great news for people living and working in the area and will bring real improvements to roads, new housing and business space and college facilities to increase skills.”
Ursula Lidbetter, Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP, commented: “We were delighted to welcome Penny Mordaunt to Lincoln and tell her about how our Growth Deal will provide a major boost to the Greater Lincolnshire economy.
“The funding we have secured in the face of some stiff competition from other regions will help us to create 2,000 new jobs, build 2,000 new homes and attract £90m of additional public and private sector investment to support sustained economic growth.”
Pictured at the signing ceremony are (left to right): Ursula Lidbetter MBE, Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP; Councillor Martin Hill from Lincolnshire County Council; Penny Mordaunt MP, Local Growth Minister; Councillor Mick Burnett from North East Lincolnshire Council; and Councillor Liz Redfern from North Lincolnshire Council.
