Latest Growth Deal Worth £14.8m for Greater Lincolnshire

The additional funding is more good news for the area’s economy and brings the total allocated to Greater Lincolnshire under Growth Deals so far to £126.1 million.

The new money will go towards five key projects:

• the South Humber Industrial Infrastructure Programme (SHIIP) phase 1 in North East Lincolnshire
• the first phase of regeneration of Scunthorpe town centre
• the first phase of the Lincolnshire Lakes development in Scunthorpe
• Agri-Food Centre of Excellence at the University of Lincoln in Holbeach
• Peppermint Interchange (highway improvement) in Holbeach

Ursula Lidbetter MBE, Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP which has been negotiating with Whitehall, welcomed the latest deal.

“Once again Greater Lincolnshire has done very well in this latest round of funding from central government which supports growth and job creation in the regions by providing money for major infrastructure projects,” said Ursula.

“The five projects which made up our bid for the second round of Growth Deals focus on improving vital transport infrastructure at the ports, building on our excellence in the agrifood sector at Holbeach, unlocking land for much-needed housing and transforming Scunthorpe town centre.

“The latest Growth Deal will bring almost £15m of additional Government funding into Greater Lincolnshire to kickstart these projects, giving our economy a further boost and creating jobs.”

Last year’s Growth Deal for Greater Lincolnshire is already bringing £48.3m of investment in the first year (2015/16) and a further £62.9m from 2016/17 onwards.

It is supporting 12 major developments across Greater Lincolnshire, from the Grantham Southern Relief Road in the south of the county to the Boole Technology Centre in Lincoln.

Greg Clark MP, Minister for Cities, said: “For Britain to fulfil its potential every part of the country must be an engine of growth. Our successful programme of City Deals and Growth Deals has put power and resources into the hands of local leaders. This billion-pound expansion of Growth Deals fuels the momentum that is now under way in our local economies.”

Growth Deals

Growth Deals are the Government’s response to Lord Heseltine’s Review in March 2013. They aim to stimulate growth and unleash the ambition and creativity of local leaders by devolving resources and responsibility to those places which can demonstrate credible and compelling economic leadership in pursuit of growth.

The Government is committed to negotiating Growth Deals with every Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), building on the success of City Deals and ensuring that no place gets left behind.

Through Growth Deals, Local Enterprise Partnerships can seek freedoms, flexibilitiesand influence over resources from Government as well as a share of the new Local Growth Fund to target their identified growth priorities.

Comments related to individual projects:

Peppermint Interchange, Holbeach

Councillor Colin Davie, Lincolnshire County Council:

“I am delighted that this allocation shows Government's commitment to the Greater Lincolnshire LEP – and the Greater Lincolnshire LEP's commitment to growing major sectors within our economy like agri-food. 

“As the lead applicant for this bid, the county council recognises that new transportation schemes have a real benefit on the local economy.”

Councillor Nick Worth, South Holland District Council:

“South Holland has a vital role to play in the county's economic prosperity. The roundabout at Peppermint Junction is a much requested and vital part of infrastructure that will enable both housing and economic development and be of huge benefit to the town.

“The food sector around Holbeach and Spalding makes a major contribution to both the local and national economy.  I am pleased we have been able to work with the Greater Lincolnshire LEP to bring this project forward and to support the further growth of our agri-food sector.”

Agri-Food Centre of Excellence, University of Lincoln

The university’s bid is for capital funding for a centre of excellence for the agri-food industry, with a focus on higher level skills and agri-tech and food manufacturing research. The aim is to strengthen research, technological development and innovation in Lincolnshire’s agri-food industry to aid competitiveness. The university has identified agri-tech as a strategically important area for the development of the whole College of Science, and so this fits into the wider development of science at the university. The funding will allow us to improve the National Centre for Food Manufacturing and grow activity; we expect to make a series of other bids.

Professor Andrew Hunter, Pro Vice Chancellor and Head of the College of Science, University of Lincoln:

“The university is pleased that the LEP has prioritised the proposed Agri-Food Centre of Excellence for funding under the Growth Deal. The university has growing research strengths in agri-tech, and it is a strategic priority for our future development. The centre will act as a gateway for collaboration between the university and local industry, strengthening collaboration and contributing to regional competitiveness.”

South Humber Industrial Infrastructure Programme (SHIIP) Phase 1, North East Lincolnshire

Humber Link Road Programme: linked to the proposed development of the Great Coates Industrial Park, this project will see Moody Lane in Grimsby extended to the west to link with Hobson Way, joining the two port complexes together and making sites along the Humber bank more accessible. The project involves land acquisition and road construction.

Strategic Ecological Mitigation Sites: many of the sites along the Humber bank have protected status for wildlife. This can be seen a barrier to industrial development as incoming companies need to set aside space for habitat protection which can represent a significant up-front development cost. This bid is for a programme of proactive land acquisition along the South Humber bank to create appropriate wildlife habitats, to be managed in the future by local wildlife trusts. This will de-risk the future development of major employment sites along the A180 corridor.

Councillor Ray Oxby, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration at North East Lincolnshire Council:

“We’ve been developing a number of projects designed to unlock growth across the south Humber bank. Understanding some of the barriers to development and what we can do to mitigate these is key to encouraging future investment across North East Lincolnshire. By investing in these strategic projects we’ll help to make the area more attractive to future business growth and investment.”

Scunthorpe Town Centre / Lincolnshire Lakes

Councillor Liz Redfern, Leader of North Lincolnshire Council:

“This is excellent news regarding our bids for Local Growth Funding working as a partner in the Greater Lincolnshire LEP.  North Lincolnshire Council is committed to investment in Scunthorpe town centre, building on the work already taking place on the University Technical College. The allocation of these local growth funds will enable us to build on plans to invest in Scunthorpe Town Centre.  

“The vision for the development of Lincolnshire Lakes is moving forward all the time and the addition of local growth funds towards the development of the first of the lakes alongside green infrastructure will move plans further forward still.  We are extremely pleased that our partnership working with the LEP has resulted in these additional funds for North Lincolnshire.