South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership

The South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP), was established in 2011, and is one of 39 Local Enterprise Partnerships set up by the Government to drive economic development in England. The SEMLEP geographical region includes 36 Enterprise and innovation centres, plus five universities. Its board is made up of representatives from the public and private sectors, in addition to skills providers. Dr Ann Limb CBE DL, is chair.

SEMLEP comprises the four unitary authorities of the Borough of Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes, together with the district councils of Aylesbury Vale, Cherwell, Corby, Daventry, Kettering, Northampton and South Northamptonshire.

In total the LEP area has a £39 billion economy, 67,000 businesses and 1.8 million population.

The area has an established regional infrastructure, which includes access to major road networks, dedicated terminals for air freight (Luton), and rail freight located at Daventry International Rail Freight Terminal (DIRFT) and the Eurohub in Corby. The LEP has sought extra funds to invest in transport infrastructure. SEMLEP has "prioritised more than 20 transport and infrastructure projects, including the bypass and a dual carriageway for the section of the A421 linking Milton Keynes with Junction 13 of the M1", according to a report in Bedford Today. "The Strategic Economic Plan details how SEMLEP will by 2020 grow the economy by £10.2billion, create an additional 94,700 jobs and build an extra 70,600 homes across its patch in Bedfordshire, Northamptonshire, Milton Keynes, Cherwell District and Aylesbury Vale District," reports MK Web and Bedford Today.

In March 2012, the UK Prime Minister David Cameron asked former Deputy Prime Minister, Michael Heseltine, to report to the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne and the Secretary of State for Business Vince Cable as to how wealth might be more effectively created in the UK. The Chancellor announced the terms of the review on March 21, 2012. The result was 'No Stone Unturned', which was largely accepted by government, and included 89 recommendations to help industry. One of its key aims was to move £49bn from central government to the English regions to help local leaders and businesses, according to a BBC report which added the aim was to "devolve power from Whitehall and re-invigorate the big cities that had fuelled the growth and wealth that the country had enjoyed in past decades". The report led to the coalition government establishing Local Enterprise Partnerships, replacing the Regional Development Agencies.

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