On Friday our MP Steve Barclay discussed at length the role of the LEP and the negligible or negative effect it has on Fenland. I was deeply concerned by a number of assertions, that will need answering.
With regards to the Wisbech Railway, as well as the questions raised by Steve Barclay, I had done some considerable work in securing agreement in December from Network Rail, local leaders and the LEP to advance that project. At a meeting with representatives of NWR, The LEP, East Cambridgeshire District Council, Fenland District Council and Peterborough City council, we secured an agreement on how to move the Wisbech project amongst others forwards, this was to be drawn together in papers to the LEP board for tomorrow, Tuesday January 17th. Despite subsequently seeking securing assurances from the LEP executive this would happen and asking for advance site of the papers of draft papers, the LEP has not included any of this or even mentioned the meeting in their papers.
- I will be questioning why they have not progressed valuable work in progressing Wisbech Rail, as well as Soham station and extra trains to Peterborough that they and Network Rail had agreed to.
- Additionally why they felt it necessary to deny me and my officers access to draft papers until they were released to the public
I remember clearly the proposal that MMUK flowers would move from Chatteris to the Alconbury Weald enterprise zone. At the time I raised concerns about why a local business was expanding in this way. Because of the rate free nature of Enterprise zones we tried to ensure the zone did not simply lure local businesses away from their base. A second concern was we were deliberately positioning the zone as a high-tech area, and this factory did not fit the bill. The third concern was the potential loss of jobs in the Chatteris area. The fourth raised was an empty factory being left behind in Chatteris. The assurances I was given at the LEP board was MMUK had looked around and Alconbury most fitted their needs for rapid growth, other sites including their own could not be expanded sufficiently. The factory although not high tech was necessary to kick-start some kind of industrial presence on the site as to date there were no interested takers. The existing personnel would be offered a transport mini bus service by MMUK to ensure they could get to and from the new location. The existing site being vacated had another business right on the doorstep in Chatteris that were ready to expand into the vacated space. Most of all I remember the message being conveyed was this was a done deal and the board was being informed more of an information sharing exercise than any chance to change the outcome. From the statements on Friday, it would appear
- That there were efforts to woo MMUK (as well as Stainless Metalcraft) to Alconbury.
- That MMUK could have expanded in Chatteris
- That no back filling of the present site is occurring and no support has been offered by the LEP to achieve this.
In my view these specific questions need answering by the LEP executive and further independent investigation.
On a separate issue I will once again take up with the Chief Executive and the Chairman the need for a published register of interests. I am not satisfied with the answers I have received to earlier requests that have only resulted in inaction.
