Councillor Appointed to Greater Lincolnshire LEP

News release

5th August 2013

Lincolnshire County Councillor Colin Davie has joined the board of the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

Councillor Davie has been recruited to help drive forward the work of the LEP, an organisation led by the private sector which aims to improve conditions for business in the Greater Lincolnshire area.

“We’re delighted with this appointment,” said Ursula Lidbetter MBE, Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP.  “Councillor Davie is passionate about improving infrastructure in the county and in particular access to superfast broadband, which is one of our five key priority areas for 2013.

“As the Executive Member for Economic Development he brings with him a vast amount of experience and knowledge and is well placed to assist the LEP with its aims of strengthening the economy, supporting businesses to grow and creating jobs.”

Councillor Davie joins the 16-strong board as a public-sector representative and will help to shape the direction of the LEP’s Growth Plan, which is due to be unveiled at the annual Greater Lincolnshire LEP Business Summit in Lincoln on 8th November.

Born in Orby, near Skegness, Councillor Davie was raised in the county before moving to London for university and work. He moved back to Lincolnshire in 1997 to help care for his father, something he says was only possible owing to advances in technology – which is why he’s championing better broadband services across Greater Lincolnshire.

As well as serving on Lincolnshire County Council, Councillor Davie runs a company which stages large-scale international events.  

Commenting on his appointment, Councillor Davie said: “As the economy nationally begins its journey of recovery, the Greater Lincolnshire LEP has a huge opportunity to highlight the potential for growth across a number of sectors. We have world class people and companies so we need to be behind them and support their development.

“There are investment opportunities in the manufacturing and engineering sectors and the agri-food sector, which is one of the largest in the UK, could be further developed. There’s also huge scope to boost tourism across the area. I’d like to see a doubling of economic value to the LEP area in tourism and agri-food, making us the heartbeat of the nation’s food production.

“Greater Lincolnshire has a growing workforce and this means there will be a demand for suitable housing. One of our main challenges, however, is attracting funding – we need to ensure we get a fairer slice.

“There is also a clear need to upskill our communities and I am very much looking forward to working with the LEP to help shape our community’s future.”

Ends

Notes to Editors

• The Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership is a new body formed in 2010 and led by the private sector which aims to improve conditions for infrastructure and doing business in the Greater Lincolnshire area.

• One of the first LEPs to be established in the UK, the Greater Lincolnshire LEP covers a large geographical area with a population of over one million and a diverse range of industries, from ports and logistics to farming, tourism and engineering.

• It includes North and North-East Lincolnshire and is controlled by a LEP board made up of leading figures in the public and private sector.

• For more information about the Greater Lincolnshire LEP please contact Ruth Carver or Carolyn Tuscher at the LEP Secretariat on 01522 550515, or visit www.greaterlincolnshirelep.co.uk

Cerri Delaney
Shooting Star PR
01522 528540
07985 143990
cerri@shootingstar-pr.co.uk
www.shootingstar-pr.co.uk
t: @CerriDelaney

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