Chris Starkie of New Anglia LEP

New Anglia seeks share of £15m to develop up to 700 jobs in rural areas

Friday, February 10, 2012
11:21 AM

Bosses of the New Anglia local enterprise partnership today named the 14 rural areas where they hope to create up to 700 new jobs if they can secure a slice of £15m of government cash.

Proposed areas the Rural Growth Network

1. Fakenham

2. Swaffham

3. North Walsham

4. Aylsham

5. Downham Market

6. Brandon

7. Attleborough

8. Harleston

9. Framlingham

10. Halesworth

11. Brantham

12. Clare/Glemsford

13. Stanton

14. Eye

The Rural Growth Network bid, which is being backed by 13 councils, businesses and business groups, will be a comprehensive network of up to 14 enterprise hubs, including Fakenham, Swaffham, North Walsham, Attleborough, and Downham Market.

Chris Starkie, programme director of New Anglia said the enterprise hubs will be created on under-used business parks, brownfield site or sites with the space and potential to enable businesses to grow in their local communities.

“We’ve helped developed the concept of rural growth networks with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and three other Local Enterprise Partnerships. The aim of our bid is to bring new business to rural areas, kick-start enterprise and help establish new companies in the areas around the hubs.”

New Anglia said it has been working with experienced staff from local authorities across Suffolk and Norfolk to select the sites, where business has the potential to grow.

"Our bid is a strong one, but competition will be fierce."

Chris Starkie, New Anglia programme director

If the bid is successful, it could unlock further funding from the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) to help small businesses improve their skills, facilities and competitiveness.

“Our bid is a strong one, but competition will be fierce,” Mr Starkie added. “We expect to hear the outcome of our bid in the next few days.”

4 comments

looks good on paper.rural jobs would be? one vacancy as a paperboy in village shop?

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bookworm

Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Creating jobs doing what? It's all pretty fruitless until the consumer has some money in his or her pocket and starts to spend it.

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John L Norton

Friday, February 10, 2012
What odd comments, John Smith. Why highlight the absence of one MP when the article doesn't appear to mention any of the nine from Norfolk? Do you think they have all retired just because the journalist doesn’t mention them? As for the rather negative - "very little for South Norfolk" - what do you expect? New Anglia is hoping to spread a small pot of money across a large area Norfolk and Suffolk - concentrating on market towns. South Norfolk has a population of about 120,000 - about 15% of Norfolk's total - so don't expect much more than 15% of Norfolk’s share. It is worth noting that Harleston is in South Norfolk, as is Attleborough (although it might fall under Breckland’s administration). While Halesworth is only a short hop over Suffolk border, so investment there may still benefit residents in SN. On that basis, it appears SN won’t do too badly.

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Huw Sayer

Friday, February 10, 2012
As ever, very little for South Norfolk and no mention of Richard Bacon MP. Has he retired?

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john smith

Friday, February 10, 2012