Fylde Council pushing for Investment Zone in bid to create jobs and boost economy

Fylde Council has worked with Blackpool and Lancashire County Councils to put forward ambitious plans to central government for an investment zone, a new initiative unveiled last month by former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng.

What is an investment zone?

Investment zones are a new government initiative that aim to attract investment and unlock development and economic activity.

What area would the zone cover in Lancashire?

The upper-tier authorities of Lancashire and Blackpool were included in a shortlist of 38 local authority areas where the government is considering establishing the zones. The proposal outlines plans for a zone that would span Lancashire using a series of interlinked ‘enterprise corridors’ and

employment clusters:

• The Fylde Coast Enterprise Corridor would cover areas across the Fylde, Wyre, and Blackpool coast.

• The North-South Enterprise Corridor would extend from as far north as Heysham, through central Lancashire and down into West Lancashire.

• The East Lancashire Enterprise Corridor would cover sites from Samlesbury and across into Burnley, Hyndburn and Pendle.

‘As soon as the Investment Zones were announced I was on the phone to ensure Fylde sites were included’

The Fylde based enterprise zones include the Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone, the Clean Energy Technology Park at Springfields, and Warton Enterprise Zone.

Coun Karen Buckley, leader of Fylde Council, said the zone will accelerate growth and benefit local communities. She said: “As soon as the Investment Zones were announced I was on the phone to the Cabinet Member for Economic Development at Lancashire County Council to ensure Fylde sites were included so that we could attract investment and jobs to the area. Working closely with LCC and our MP, Mark Menzies, led to the inclusion of the Clean Energy Technology Park at Springfields and the Warton/Salmesbury Enterprise Zone in the bid to Government.

A further opportunity arose with Blackpool Council to extend the existing Blackpool Airport Enterprise Zone to accelerate growth and benefit to our communities by unlocking employment land across from Queensway.

“Fylde Council has worked collaboratively with our partners at Blackpool and Lancashire to ensure strategic alignment of our key sites, and they are at the heart of an emerging pan-Lancashire growth plan.”

What are the benefits?

According to the government, the zones would seek to have planning flexibility to assist with their development and tax relief for businesses who relocate there.

For developments in the early stages of planning, and to encourage new development to come forward, there will be a new faster and more streamlined consent to grant planning permission. Key planning policies to ensure developments are well designed will continue to apply, as will protections for Green Belt, heritage, flood risk, highway safety, and building regulations.

More about local Investment Zones

More information regarding the Fylde based enterprise zones which include Blackpool Enterprise Zone, the Clean Energy Technology Park, and Warton Enterprise Zone can be found on their

websites:

• https://blackpoolez.com/

• https://cetpspringfields.com/

• https://wartonez.com/