Chris Loder, MP for West Dorset, has advanced his campaign to reform the functions of Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), such as the Dorset LEP. From April 2024, sponsorship and core funding of LEPs will cease entirely, and local authorities will instead take on functions currently delivered by LEPs.
Mr Loder has campaigned extensively to reform the Dorset LEP because of the lack of benefit it has brought his West Dorset constituency. He said:
“In its current format, and in my opinion, the Dorset LEP has not provided enough benefits for West Dorset: over the years, we have received a mere 3% of LEP investment, despite having around 10% of the population in Dorset spread over 400 square miles. Preference has historically been given to more urban areas in the east of the county, such as Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch. Moreover, it is questionable as to how exactly LEP funding has been distributed and utilised, and why there exists a high degree of overlap.”
He continued: “I welcome these changes and I hope that in Dorset we will start to see a more representative and fairer distribution of funding to areas which need it. The Government will now support local authorities to take on functions currently delivered by LEPs, meaning that for any future funding, it will be local authorities who decide how to spend it, rather than an appointed board.”
