AMBITIOUS plans for a multi-million pound 'Skills City' for Lancashire, creating 6,000 hi-tech jobs, were in crisis today after being branded 'the worst in the country' by government ministers.

They said the enterprise zone, based around BAE Systems' Samlesbury plant, was the only one of 24 in England to have attracted no new businesses or produced any new jobs.

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Growth Minister Penny Mordaunt and her skills counterpart Greg Clark have told the chairman of the council/business partnership behind the scheme that government has 'lost confidence' in its ability to 'deliver the enterprise zone successfully'.

They gave chairman and grocery boss Edwin Booth a checklist of major changes required for the advanced technology and engineering complex to win back ministerial support, including giving East Lancashire business leader Mike Damms responsibility for the scheme.

But he and Lancashire County Council rejected the criticism, claiming the project was still on track.

Blackburn with Darwen borough leader Kate Hollern described the letter, revealed exclusively today by the Lancashire Telegraph, as 'damning' and Burnley MP Gordon Birtwistle described it as 'disastrous'.

Ribble Valley Tory MP Nigel Evans said of the ministerial criticism: "This has thrown the enterprise zone plan into crisis. It is very worrying."

Blackburn MP and former Labour Home and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said: "I have rarely seen such a strongly-worded ministerial letter.

"Unfortunately, this is very serious.

"Four years ago I and other East Lancashire politicians expressed serious concerns about a single county-wide enterprise partnership.

"We felt two for East and West would be the best approach.

"Sadly it seems from this letter that our fears are now being realised."

Labour politician Coun Hollern and Dennis Mendoros, owner of Kelbrook aerospace firm Euravia, have criticised Mr Booth for failing to share details of the crisis with other members of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Board.

The enterprise zone, to be developed at BAE Systems' Samlesbury and Warton Military Aircraft Division sites and approved in 2011, was supposed to be the jewel in the LEP's crown bringing dozens of new hi-tech businesses and creating 6,000 jobs in the development and at supply firms across the county.

Approval was granted to develop 180 acres at Samlesbury, including the disused airfield in 2011, and in April 2012 it was hailed as the most advanced such scheme in the country.

Now the letter from Miss Mordaunt, a junior minister in the Local Government department, and minister of state Mr Clark, dated November 27, tells a different story.

It tells Mr Booth: "The Lancashire Enterprise Zone continues to be a major concern to the government.

"Lancashire is the worst performing enterprise zone in the country.

"It is the only zone not to have attracted any new businesses or to have created any new jobs.

"The government has lost confidence in the Lancashire LEP to deliver the enterprise zone successfully."

The letter then gives a checklist of actions needed 'to win back our confidence'.

They include:

* Securing a deal on the land at Samlesbury between Lancashire County Council and BAE Systems by a deadline of December 10;

* Providing key milestones and hold-ups with project management to the government in a monthly update;

* Giving an LEP board member, preferably East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce chief executive Mike Damms, responsibility for the zone; and

* Recruiting a dedicated programme manager.

Mr Booth said: "This is a large scale development with a 25-year lifespan and there are considerable complexities to it.

"We are on track to deliver new jobs in accordance with the timescales set out at the beginning of the programme and we anticipate making positive announcements about developments at both the Samlesbury and Warton sites in the near future."

Lancashire County Council leader Jennifer Mein said: "When you compare these comments to the reality of the situation, it's hard to avoid the conclusion that politics are at play as we approach next year's general election.

"The truth is that the development is on target to realise its first new jobs in 2015 and the vision of creating 6,000 jobs over its lifetime also remains intact.

"The process of transferring ownership of the land has been a drawn out one, but the deal is now done."

A BAE Systems spokesman said: “We believe a significant amount of progress has been made.”

LEP board member Mr Mendoros said: "This is absolutely and seriously news to me. I shall raise it at the January board meeting."

Coun Hollern said: "This is a very damning letter. I am extremely disappointed that the LEP board, on which we have a member, was not informed of its contents."

Mr Birtwistle said: "This is disastrous. This scheme is vital to the creation of hi-tech jobs right across the county, especially in East Lancashire."

Coun Mein said LEP achievements included:

* Securing a £234million Growth Deal;

• Doubling Lancashire's Assisted Area coverage to include East Lancashire;

* Getting government approval for the £12m Burnley-Pendle Growth Corridor to improve the M65 from junction six at Whitebirk to junction 14 at Colne;

• Ensuring the £130million Superfast Lancashire broadband programme covers 97 per cent of businesses by June 2015;

• Securing the £434m Preston City Deal.

Chorley Labour MP Lindsay Hoyle said: "This letter raises serious issues that need to be resolved."