BLACKBURN with Darwen Council will join forces with Burnley, Blackpool, South Ribble and Lancashire's two Chambers of Commerce under changes to the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership.

In partnership with the LEP, the council has been successful in competitively securing nearly £20million in growth deal funding to deliver the enabling infrastructure needed to unlock new housing and employment growth in south east Blackburn and Darwen with additional funding for initiatives such as the Making Rooms and Café Northcote.

Last year, government initiated a national review of LEPs to ensure they are fit for purpose and compliant with new and enhanced national guidance in relation to governance and performance.

In a report to go before the council's executive board on Thursday, leader Cllr Mohammed Khan said: "Moving forward, Government has signalled that Local Enterprise Partnerships in non-Mayoral Combined Authority areas will play a central role in new local growth strategies and public investment frameworks, via local industrial strategies.

"Although details on any new local growth funds are limited, at this stage, a positive outcome for Lancashire to the review is especially important as Government is considering successor arrangements to the Local Growth Deal Fund and EU funding streams. "Currently, these two public investment funds, which will continue until 2021, are worth an unprecedented £500m to Lancashire."

Following the government review, each LEP has to show it is functioning as a truly independent business-led entity, free from undue local authority control or influence, within an assurance framework agreed with government to ensure public funds are delivering value for money and decision-making arrangements are transparent and accountable.

Currently Lancashire County Council is the sole company member with effective control and ownership of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership company, which is non-compliant with government guidance.

Cllr Khan added: "The county council’s sole ownership of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership, along with its roles as its accountable body, company secretary and host of the core team, combine to inform the widely-held perception that the partnership is unduly controlled by the county.

"To drive separation and strengthen independence, as required by the government review, the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership and county council agreed at the board meeting on March 19 to accept additional company members.

"It was agreed that the five local authorities currently represented on the board of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership board (Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool, South Ribble, Burnley and Lancashire), along with Lancashire’s two Chambers of

Commerce (East and North West), would form the new nucleus of the company membership, subject to confirmation."