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. www.lscc.co
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