Rory Heralds Cumbrian Investment

The Government says a £3.5 million investment in Cumbria’s rural economy will create 900 jobs and almost 500 new businesses.

Rory welcomed agriculture Minister Jim Paice to Blencathra today to meet with local businesses and to announce an investment of  £3.5 million into Cumbria’s rural economy, which the Cumbria Chamber of Commerce estimates will create an estimated 900 jobs and almost 500 new businesses in the process. The Minister also used his visit to Penrith and the Border to promote the work of the Rural Growth Network, first announced in the budget in April.

Speaking at the Blencathra Field Studies Centre, Rory said: “I am delighted that the government is showing its commitment to Cumbria, and recognises the importance of Rural Britain. The key to Cumbria’s future remains investment in broadband and mobile communications to every home. But this investment in business mentoring and support, is an important addition. It will provide mentoring and expert advice for new small local businesses, who are an increasingly central part of our economy.”

The Minister also visited the Blencathra Business Centre in Keswick, which will be transformed into eight new work premises with business services including one-to-one business advice, online training, networking opportunities and access to super-fast broadband. This is just one of the Rural Growth Network’s ‘enterprise hubs’ planned for rural areas across Cumbria, which will deliver business support to a range of sectors, including food and drink, adventure sports and digital and creative enterprises.

The Keswick centre is one of a network of enterprise hubs planned across Cumbria that include:

• Fourteen new work premises at Alston;

• Eight new work premises at Blencathra Business Centre;

• Eight new work premises at Clawthorpe Hall;

• Twenty new work premises at Marl, Ulverston;

• Eight new work premises at Millom; and

• Ten new work premises at University of Cumbria, Ambleside;

Cumbria’s bid to become a pilot Rural Growth Network was submitted by the Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and has been named alongside Devon and Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire, Northumberland and Durham, and Warwickshire as winning through to become pilot schemes. The Rural Growth Network is part of the £165 million programme of measures that the Government is delivering to grow business and create new job prospects in rural areas.