LSCC Newsletter - Spring 2015
West Anglia Line
The LSCC has been continuing to campaign and
coordinate around the improvements to the West
Anglia Line, including major submissions to Network
Rail and a Ministerial meeting bringing together crossparty MPs and local politicians from along the
corridor.
In February the Rt. Hon George Osborne, Chancellor
of the Exchequer and Boris Johnson, Mayor of
London announced a plan to “establish a West Anglia
Task Force to look at opportunities to improve
connections to Stansted and Cambridge from
Liverpool Street, findings of which are expected in Spring 2016”. The LSCC is working
closely with the Department for Transport on the make-up and activities of the Task Force.
Over the summer we will publish our outline strategic business case for investment.
This spring will also see Enfield Town, Cheshunt and Chingford services move over to
London Overground, with a significant investment in station upgrades. It will also see the
opening of the Hackney Down – Hackney Central pedestrian link, making a direct
connection between radial and orbital routes. The LSCC, with partners, campaigned for
both.
In addition significant investment was confirmed for the M11 Junctions 7 and 8, from the
Budget and the Regional Growth Funding via the GC-GP LEP.
MIPIM
In March the LSCC led a mixed public and
private sector delegation to MIPIM – the global
property investment and regeneration event –
to promote the corridor to businesses and
investors.
The activity involved a display as part of the
London Stand and a seminar attended by over
100 people, with keynote speakers including Cllr
Claire Kober, Leader of Haringey and
representatives from Stansted Airport and Commercial Estates Group.
MIPIM also saw the launch of the LSCC “Prospectus for Life Science Growth”, and
Andrew Bramidge, Director of Harlow Enterprise Zone spoke at an event organised by the
Mayor of Ghent, which also featured speakers from Malmo and Grenoble, and focused on
how smaller cities can compete in the European investment market.
Overall the conference provided an excellent opportunity to promote the corridor and a
range of key opportunities to an international audience. The LSCC Board has confirmed
that the LSCC will seek sponsorship to deliver a delegation to MIPIM 2016.
Life Sciences
In April, to an audience of 100 people,
drawn from across the public and
private sector, the LSCC launched its
work on life sciences, looking at the
projected level of growth in the sector
and the likely places to accommodate
this growth in the corridor.
The event was chaired by Sir Bill Castel, Chair, Wellcome Trust, and hosted by Professor
Simon Gaskell, President of Queen Mary University London. Other speakers included Dr
John Keddie, LSCC Deputy Chair and Chair of Harlow Enterprise Zone, as well as
speakers from Babraham, Medcity and GVA Bilfinger.
There was an excellent discussion on not only the
space requirements but also the skills gap to meet the
needs of the 14,000 new jobs that could be generated
in life sciences along the London-Stansted-Cambridge
Corridor alone before 2023.
The event launched the supporting detailed technical
reports as seen below:
LSC Life Sciences Growth Demand:
This models the scale and form of the sector’s
growth in the region in the coming decade;
LSC Life Sciences Growth Spaces:
This report considers the changing needs and the
future requirements for land and premises to
accommodate the growth projected within existing
and new sites;
In addition there are a series of detailed site profiles of locations that can accommodate
growth. See our Life Sciences page.
LSCC Conference: 16th June, British Library
The third LSCC Annual Conference
is open for registration, with a high
profile list of speakers.
This year we focus on the
importance of this region as a
globally significant innovation
corridor, vital to the future of the
UK’s growth economy.
Speakers include the Deputy Mayor for London and Economic Advisor, the Directors of the
British Library, Crossrail 2 and the Vice-Chancellors of Hertfordshire and Anglia Ruskin
Universities.
LSCC Skills & Employment
Working with the FE colleges the LSCC is supporting a pan-corridor approach “passport to
success”, which will enable young people to have greater access to job opportunities
wherever they arise in the corridor.
We are looking to launch this at a House of Commons event in the autumn. Harlow
College is also progressing well with its centre for advanced manufacturing which is a £7.5
million facility that is fully backed by local businesses who are shaping the curriculum and
providing some of the capital equipment.
The ambition is to set up a series of these ‘regional centres of excellence’ along the
corridor.
Stansted Jobs Fair
In April the LSCC was delighted to support the Stansted
Airport Jobs Fair, delivered in partnership by the north
London boroughs, the airport, its skills academy and
Tottenham Hotspurs.
With over 500 job seekers, and 30 employers from
across the range of airport activities, the event, held at
Tottenham Hotspur FC’s White Hart Lane stadium, was
a huge success.
Promoting the airport’s subsidised travel for workers the
event highlights the importance of labour mobility in the
corridor.
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