Humber Enterprise Zone given goahead
17 August 2011 by Paul Rhoades
Excellent news for the community and the region as a whole as the government this morning announced that the Humber Estuary Renewable Energy Super Cluster has been given the green light by the government and has been declared an enterprise zone.
This is just what the area needs in view of cuts at the steel works, council offices and hospital, which combined stand at 2,085 announced job losses since January 2011.
There have been several visits to the region by high profile government officers, the last being Vince Cable just three weeks ago and meetings with the region's MP's and the Prime Minister to discuss job losses, instigated by Nic Dakin.
The proposed new enterprise zone status will, it is claimed by ministers generate up to 30,000 new jobs by 2015. We've heard claims locally that the development of the marine energy park on the south bank of the Humber could generate between 5 and 10 thousand jobs.
This, the government hopes will be fueled by a reduced business rate and access to super fast broadband.
Within the Humber region it may potentially lead to the abolition of the Humber Bridge Tolls which have been seen as standing as a barrier to the south bank development for a long time.
In a statement released just moments ago, John Clugston, Chairman of the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership, said:
“The Enterprise Zone will play a crucial role in helping us to become the British centre for renewable energy. We already have the land, the location, the infrastructure and the skills, but the Enterprise Zone takes our offer a step further by speeding up development and adding extra financial incentives. Having these extra benefits in place will help us all to push on with signing up the top tier manufacturers for the UK against competition abroad.
“The fact that our Enterprise Zone has been approved at more than double the size originally suggested by the Government prospectus shows that there is faith in the level of our ambition and the capability we have to deliver on our plans. However, the Enterprise Zone is not the limit: it is only the beginning of what we hope to achieve. If we are successful there will be many more developments around the fringe, particularly in the supply chain and related industries, and the effect on our economy will be transformative.”
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If the Humber Estuary is the ideal location for Humber Estuary Renewable Energy Super Cluster why does it need the cut in business rates and other enterprise zone initiatives.
This is just another example of the government interfering in the free market, targetting areas that will get them electoral credit. Why not just make the whole country an enterprise zone and cut business rates for all entrepeneurs? Oh no I forgot - the deficit, we can't cut taxes or we screw up our credit rating and Blue Blair hasn't got the cahoonas to really cut expenditure and roll back the State.
plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose
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