Prime Minister, and local MP David Cameron, welcomed the start of the Local Enterprise Partnership Annual Conference in Westminster.

The PM said, ““In the five years since I joined ... I have been delighted to see the real impact Local Enterprise Partnerships are making across the country. Together, over £15 billion has been invested in projects and programmes - boosting local economies and creating quality job opportunities that are improving people’s lives and their communities."

“I believe that local business leaders and local authorities must work together to make the best decisions for their area. This Government is pushing forward with the most ambitious devolution of power in a generation and business must be at the forefront of this. Now is the time for Local Enterprise Partnerships to get involved in devolution deals and tell us what you can do to drive growth."

Following his speech a list of key headline figures were annouced, including the total of £5 billion of private sector leverage that the 39 LEPs have secured across England. To date, this has impacted the country by:

• Creating 115,000 new jobs
• Training 78,000 learners
• Creating 71,000 new businesses
• Supporting 72,000 businesses
• Building 16,000 new homes
• Spending £945 million on infrastructure

The biggest economic growth projects undergone have been in the North East and North west; helping cities such as Leeds, Liverpool and Sheffield develop and grow their local economies. Birmingham and dorset have also received significant funding.

Ursula Lidbetter MBE, Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP and CEO of the Lincolnshire Co-operative, said:

“The figures to date show that they (LEPs) have evolved into an effective private public sector partnership with a unique USP; they are business-led partnerships with commercial business acumen, strong strategic leadership and an acute insight into the needs of local business. They have proven their worth by driving sustainable private sector-led growth and job creation and they will be pivotal in the next four years to ensure the UK economy remains robust."