COUNCIL PRESS RELEASE

September 7, 2018

Work to create growth plans for March, and Whittlesey gets underway

Ambitious plans for the future prosperity of three Fenland towns have taken a major step forward with the appointment of a specialist team of consultants.

Following a competitive tender process, the and Combined Authority and Fenland District Council have appointed leading economic analysts Metro Dynamics to produce three separate ‘Growing Fenland’ Masterplans for March, Chatteris and Whittlesey.

The Combined Authority awarded £150,000 to the council (£50,000 for each town) earlier this year to help create the trio of growth strategies, following the successful creation of a Masterplan for Growth for last year.

The ‘Growing Fenland’ Masterplans will examine the needs of each town and look at how investment in education and skills, commercial and industrial development and new transport initiatives could help stimulate growth and create more employment.

Local leaders, communities and businesses will be invited to have their say to ensure a shared ambition for the future of each town is created.

Councillor David Oliver, Portfolio Holder for Growth at Fenland District Council, said: “These new ‘Growing Fenland’ Masterplans will create evidence-based action plans that will help each area to unlock its full potential and improve the lives of local people.

“They will gather ideas and ambitions into individual blueprints, focus collective resources on shared priorities and be used to attract further funding from the Government and private sector to make the plans a reality.”

A series of consultant-led stakeholder group meetings and public meetings will be held shortly, with a view to the plans being completed by Spring 2019.

Cllr Charles Roberts, Deputy Mayor of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, said: “We are investing this money because we believe our market towns are one of Cambridgeshire’s greatest assets. Businesses and residents in our market towns deserve a bright future of opportunity and prosperity, and it is through these plans we will all understand what we need to do to get there.

“The Combined Authority has been committed to this since day one, so I’m excited to see us get another step closer.”

Metro Dynamics has substantial masterplanning experience and knows the Cambridgeshire and Fenland area well as they are the lead consultant for producing the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Independent Economic Review (CPIER) on behalf of the Combined Authority. Mike Emmerich, Founding Director of Metro Dynamics, commented: “Drive for real transformation is building across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and we are thrilled to be operating in the area at such a critical time. Having worked within the Combined Authority area before, we have a wealth of experience and a thorough understanding of the dynamics of the region and will use this knowledge to develop clearly defined recommendations that will bring about profound change.”

ENDS

For more information contact Fenland District Council press office on 01354 622226