Greater Lincolnshire named as a new Manufacturing Zone by the Government
Greater Lincolnshire has been chosen as one of the Government’s new Manufacturing Zones and will receive £155,000 to further support the creation of three Food Enterprise Zones.
The funding from central Government is part of a half-million-pound package for the East Midlands and aims to support economic growth and investment by reducing planning restrictions.
After the Government announced an East Midlands Manufacturing Zone pilot in November 2017, the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership submitted its bid last year to enhance the development of the area’s three Food Enterprise Zones (FEZ) in Hemswell, Holbeach and Grimsby.
Ruth Carver, LEP Director, welcomed the announcement.
“This is welcome news for Greater Lincolnshire and our multi-billion-pound food industry,” she said. “It will allow us to build on our local economic strengths.
“This new status and funding will accelerate the delivery of Greater Lincolnshire’s three Food Enterprise Zones as well as the South Humber Industrial Investment Programme.
“Many businesses utilising the zones have found limitations in infrastructure and transport are constraining their ability to grow. This much-needed funding will help us address these issues by undertaking studies into modernising infrastructure and the transport network in a way which supports growth.
“This bid will provide a small amount of funding, but by targeting it in the way that is being proposed the outcomes will be significant.
“The funding is very much aligned to the Greater Lincolnshire Strategic Economic Plan.”
The funding will help to address the constraints identified by businesses using the sites by undertaking studies into using rail to move freight to and from the zones in Grimsby, into developing smart grid technology in Hemswell, and into finding innovative solutions to water and sewage supply at Holbeach.
This latest announcement follows Growth Deal grants secured by the Greater Lincolnshire LEP of £1.8 million for the Europarc Food Enterprise Zone (FEZ) site in Grimsby, £2 million for the Hemswell FEZ, £5.1 million for a new roundabout junction and utilities at Holbeach FEZ and £2.4 million for the new university led Agri-food Centre of Excellence anchor development on the Holbeach site.
The aim of the East Midlands Manufacturing Zones is to allow for land to be used more productively by relaxing planning restrictions.
As part of the £500,000 allocation, there will also be new Manufacturing Zones established in Melton Mowbray, Space Park Leicester and the Northern Derbyshire Manufacturing Zone.
