Edited by Michael Ward and Sally Hardy
Price £9.99. Published June 2013
Against the backdrop of low growth and prolonged austerity the LEPs face a formidable challenge, especially in places where structural unemployment is already a problem. However, as the perspectives in this monograph demonstrate the 39 LEPs, although arguably still in their infancy, are working hard to find local solutions which draw in extra investment and utilise local skills and expertise. It is perhaps still too early to judge whether economic development is better served by more localised partnerships working to local strategies, but making a difference will in any circumstance demand planning for the long term with resources to match. This publication aims to help take forward the policy debate on the future of the LEPs and open up a wider discussion on their role in delivering jobs and growth.