The Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership Board has been appointed following exceptional interest from the business community.

John Peel OBE has been appointed Chairman alongside seven business representatives, five local authority leaders, together with a representative from higher/further education.

Leader of West Sussex County Council Louise Goldsmith said: "This is a strong Board which will play a pivotal role in the development of the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership.

"Coast to Capital has set itself really challenging objectives to support enterprise and entrepreneurship and boost exports. Our plan is to help local business grow and private and public sectors to work together to deliver better economic performance across our region."

The Board will provide private and public sector leadership for the Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership to achieve its objectives.

Coast to Capital will have close working relationships with the five Area Partnerships for the business areas within Coast to Capital - Brighton & Hove, Croydon, Gatwick Diamond Coastal and Rural West Sussex.

John Peel, Chairman of Coast to Capital, said: "The Coast to Capital LEP will ruthlessly focus on enterprise, entrepreneurism and International Growth. These are the primary drivers of jobs and prosperity. We have set ourselves three tough targets, the creation of 4,500 businesses, 20,000 jobs and 4,000 additional exporting businesses over the next five years. Government has made no funding available to set up and run LEPs and we will therefore be totally reliant on assistance and funding from business and local authorities. This will be one of the toughest jobs I have ever undertaken and I look forward to it."

The responsibilities of the Coast to Capital Board will include:

• Understanding the local economy and its drivers

• Developing a strategy to create the right environment (including planning and infrastructure protocols with the planning authorities)

• Setting investment priorities and identifying a small number of catalytic projects

• Raising funding from the private sector

• Bidding for funding

The Board will be accountable to a wider Coast to Capital Forum comprising

business and trade organisations and other interested bodies such as further and higher education, business support bodies, the South Downs National Park and others.

Ron Crank - Director Coast to Capital said: "We are very fortunate to have been able to appoint a very strong board. We have informed central government (Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)) of the appointments"

Plans are now underway for the inaugural Board meeting with a series of induction events programmed to assist the new board to get to grips with the challenges Coast to Capital face.

For further information contact:

• Ron Crank - Director Coast to Capital

• Tel: 01243 777170

• Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Coast to Capital is indebted to DHM Stallard who have undertaken the management of the recruitment process free of charge. This is just one example of the business community coming forward to make Coast to Capital a success.

Notes:

The Coast to Capital Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) was given the green light by Government on 28 October to move forward and establish itself and will see local business and civic leaders working together to drive sustainable economic growth.

There are now 31 LEPs across the country

Coast to Capital has two key priorities:

Enterprise and entrepreneurship - tackling low levels of enterprise and business formation so that the long-term competitive health of the area is secured

International trade - 60% of UK productivity gain is driven by businesses that are internationalised. The area has some slight competitive advantage in this, but the proposal is to significantly increase the number of firms who trade internationally

Profile of John Peel included.

For press information contact:

Gary Rustell,

Communications & Engagement - Coast to Capital LEP

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

T: +44 (O)1243 7 77144 - M: 0751 533 2909

Press Release published by:

Coast to Capital Delivery Team