Written evidence from Cadia, the Gatwick
Diamond Business Association
I am writing on behalf of Cadia, the Gatwick
Diamond Business Association, (www.gatwickdiamondbusiness.org.uk)
which represents over 350 businesses employing around 30,000 staff.
Our members range from Gatwick Airport, Thales, Virgin Atlantic
and GlaxoSmithkline to SMEs and sole traders. We are cross-sectoral
and also cross the administrative boundaries of Surrey, West and
East Sussex County Councils, Mid Sussex, Crawley, Horsham, Reigate
& Banstead, Mole Valley and Tandridge Borough/District Councils.
Cadia was formed in 1955 and works to provide
networking and learning opportunities to our members, to lobby
on behalf of those members and to encourage economic growth in
the Gatwick Diamond (www.gatwickdiamond.co.uk).
We work closely with a large number of stakeholders
and our members are keen to see that we represent their interest
at all levels. We have a seat on the Gatwick Airport Consultative
Committee, the West Sussex Enterprise & Skills Board, the
Gatwick Diamond Overview Board, Crawley Local Economy Action Group
and the Manor Royal Business Reference Group.
There are very strong links to both HE and FE
and we were a part of the bid to develop the University Centre
for Crawley which has been agreed, but is subject to the 2011-14
spending review.
We also work closely with the membership bodies
within the Diamond including the Chambers of Commerce and other
networks for Sussex, Surrey, Horley, Crawley, Horsham, Burgess
Hill, Haywards Heath, East Grinstead, Reigate, the Gatwick Hotels
Association as well as regional representatives from FSB, IOD
and CBI.
LOCAL ENTERPRISE
PARTNERSHIPS
Over recent weeks a number of documents have
come across my desk in relation to proposed ideas around what
a LEP for the region could look like.
The key pointers seem to be:
A LEP must cover a "functioning economic
area".
A Tier 1 Local Authority or Authorities should
be included.
A LEP may need to cover a population of over
one million.
There must be support from the business community.
In the first instance, we would look for a LEP
that covers the Gatwick Diamond in it's entirety. The Diamond
has never had rigid geographic boundaries so the scale of this
LEP is hard to quantify but the Gatwick Diamond already shows
how collaborative working between public and private sector can
bring real economic strength.
With a suggested minimum population target,
the Gatwick Diamond may not have sufficient scale to be a LEP.
If that were the case, we could only support an expression of
interest in a LEP that recognises the distinct identity of the
Gatwick Diamond in it's entirety. We can see that a larger LEP
covering West Sussex, Surrey and Brighton & Hove could then
integrate the four distinct sub-regions reflecting their economic
and employment needs. These areas are:
The Market towns (Centred on Guildford).
Aside from geography, there is the issue of
what a LEP does. Whilst we wait for the White Paper, to my mind
the focus should be on the following areas (listed in no particular
order):
Innovation and the Knowledge Economy.
The overarching aim of the LEP must be to make
that area a world-class business destination with a strong position
on the International stage.
13 August 2010
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