East Midlands Chamber has welcomed a set of long term proposals put forward by the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) that aim to boost employment, export, business support and increase investment into infrastructure and clean energy.
Ambitions for the next 10 years outlined in ‘The East Midlands Growth Plan’ include getting 60, 000 more people into employment; infrastructure investment of £2bn; export increased to £63bn; increasing the number of ‘fast-growing’ SMEs and £15.7m to attract private investment into nuclear and fusion.
East Midlands Chamber Chief Executive Scott Knowles said: “Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire and the wider East Midlands play a huge role in driving the UK economy, boasting world class firms and outstanding talent and innovation. Investment into skills, green energy and business support are essential for all three counties to thrive going forward into the future, so I welcome the plans that have been outlined by Mayor Claire Ward today.
“With businesses having faced so many tough challenges, whether recruitment and finding suitable staff or spiralling costs to contend with, like higher National Insurance contributions introduced at the last Autumn Budget, or the mountain of red tape and associated costs required for export of goods, support in these areas is very much needed. The East Midlands Growth Plan details how the two counties and cities will focus on addressing the ages old challenge of the East Midlands receiving lesser investment compared to other regions of the UK.
“Business will want to see the proposed plans quickly move to implementation, for support to be ongoing and sustained, with the needs of firms continually prioritised to achieve the ambitious measures of success detailed in the plan. Elsewhere, outside of the EMCCA region, Leicestershire must be given the same weight when it comes to investment and it’s essential that local political leaders ensure that is the case.”
