We’re here to stay assures Rachael as she steers Solent LEP through uncharted waters

Back in March, the Chancellor announced the withdrawal of government funding from Local Enterprise Partnerships, or LEPs, across England.

These partnerships have worked since 2010 to connect the public and private sectors of a region and help drive economic growth through various business-led initiatives.

Though efforts are being made to preserve the efforts of LEPs and the infrastructure they’ve built up over the past thirteen years, many have already been quietly absorbed into their respective local authorities following the government’s decision – and plenty more will soon follow.

But that’s not the end of the story here in Hampshire, according to Solent LEP’s Interim Chair Rachael Randall.

“We’ve constantly evolved”, she explained.

“When the Chancellor’s announcement came, we weren’t overly worried, because 80 per cent of the funding and the work we do is not actually linked to that core funding.

“We as a board are really positive about the Solent area and want to continue to support it, both business and public sector.

“I think it’s really important that we’re not disappearing.”

Rachael herself got involved with the LEP after joining the board in 2017.

Like many of her colleagues, she brings a range of business experience to the table – from her current position as head of HTP Apprenticeship College on the Isle of Wight, to her background in farming and hospitality.

“We’re one of the most diverse boards in the South”, she said, “with a full mix of business people, higher education and public sector, plus all ages and genders.

“And the Solent economy is dear to our hearts, so we’ve got a vested interest.”

How do they leverage that interest? Through initiatives both big and small.

In recent years, the LEP has backed flagship projects like the Solent Freeport, Stubbington Bypass, and the establishment of Maritime UK Solent to help directly influence national maritime decision-making.

Rachael’s particularly proud of the support they provided to help shore up small businesses through the pandemic, because it highlighted a strength for the LEP beyond throwing money at big initiatives.

Convening power.

“I think that’s the biggest thing that we do”, said Rachael.

“We haven’t got the capital for big spends like the Southsea sea defences.

“But actually, we’ve got this convening power, which is much better.

“People come to talk to us and actually say, ‘you know this person, you know that MP, can you bring a group together?’”

That’s how the South Coast Institute of Technology came about, a collaboration between five of the region’s colleges and two universities which welcomes its first students this month.

Or the Solent Freeport, for which the LEP rounded up key stakeholders from across the region to collaborate on the ultimately successful bid.

And it’s a factor which continues to play a key role in Hampshire’s hospitality – although Rachael sees things more broadly.

“Rather than the hospitality sector, it’s the visitor economy”, she said.

“Because everything touches the visitor economy – whether it’s the New Forest, the Dockyard in Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight.

“You’ve only got to look at everything that’s linked to Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings in New Zealand. It’s a draw, isn’t it?

“Plus, you’ve got these thriving festivals on the Isle of Wight and in Portsmouth, as well as across Hampshire.

“The arts and the creative industries are something that we’re also very much involved with.

“And we’re working with Carnival in Southampton because of the cruises and everything that comes with that.

“So you’ve got to have a visitor economy that’s actually meeting the needs of all that’s going on.

“It’s very much a multi-pronged approach in order to ensure the economy of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.”

Futureproofing has never been higher on the agenda than now, as Solent LEP and others across the country enter a new chapter.

Their vision will live on, Rachael anticipates, through the newly formed Solent Partners, the latest evolution for the LEP set to bring together local industry, academic and civic leaders.

“The aim, if possible, is that we do carry on with Solent Partners”, she added.

“We’ve got a three-year business plan. It’s funded, it’s got a budget attached to it and money already there to do it.

“What’s really important to the region now is that you need to have that independent voice, and work with partners like the Chambers – Hampshire, Isle of Wight – and local authorities to move it forward.

“That’s what we’ve been trying to do, carry on as normal. And I think we’re still in that space at the moment.”

• solentlep.org.uk