[08
FEB 99] COVENTRY & WARWICKSHIRE PARTNERSHIPS LTD PRESS RELEASE
Area Fights To Keep Euro-FundsCoventry
& Warwickshire Partnerships (CWP), the area's economic development partnerships
company, has today presented the case for Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull to continue
to receive job-creating European funds.
The reform of European funding at the end of this
year means that existing funding is in jeopardy. The case for continued funding for job
creation from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) is based on:
- continuing high unemployment especially in parts of Coventry
- the loss of jobs from manufacturing industry
- the needs of priority communities in north Solihull,
northern Warwickshire and in Coventry
- job creation in the Warwickshire Coalfield area.
Members of CWP have identified an area covering 395,000
local residents where we believe continued European funding is needed to help rebuild
local economies. We have also identified some sites just outside these areas which are
important in solving employment problems - Birch Coppice, Land Rover, Ansty, Peugeot, and
land near Coventry Airport.
Trevor Cornfoot CWP's Manager said:
"We have put past European finance to good effect.
Economic problems remain particularly in the north of our area, however. Thus we have made
a strong case for continued funding to assist with new job creation so that the economic
benefits of investment and growth experienced over the past decade in the southern parts
of our area can also be felt by residents in the north."
NOTES
Our case for continued EU funding covers 395,000 people in
Coventry, Nuneaton & Bedworth, North Warwickshire & Solihull. It is a reduction on
the current area (by 21.5%) as required by Government, but still identifies areas of
greatest unemployment, job loss and deprivation. The proposed area complements CWP's
recent proposals to UK Government for Assisted Areas.
The case for ‘A Proposed new Objective 2 area for the
Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull Sub-region' will have to be combined with the views of
other areas in the West Midlands and an overall case drawn up by the new West Midlands
Chamber by the end of March.
Coventry and Warwickshire Partnerships Ltd (CWP) was
created in 1994 to bring together a range of private, public, education and voluntary
organisations, and ensure that they work together for a stronger local economy. CWP
published the area's second Economic Strategy in March 1998. It also manages £29 million
of Single Regeneration Budget resources. It seeks to secure coordinated action on a range
of economic issues. In autumn 1998 it coordinated efforts to retain Government Grants
through the designation of parts of northern Warwickshire, north Solihull and Coventry as
an ‘Assisted Area'. It has recently published ‘Action Priorities for the
Coventry and Warwickshire Economy': a statement of the key needs of our economy and
responses to them.
Copies of the ‘Proposed Objective 2 area for the
Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull Sub-region' can be obtained from CWP Ltd.
MORE INFORMATION: Trevor
Cornfoot, CWP 01203 230166
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