Thanks to Richard for sharing the latest news in relation to the closure of Ford’s Transit plant in Southampton. Ed
Solent LEP Board Members cleared their schedules late last night to discuss the closure of the Ford Transit Plant in Southampton. At the emergency meeting, Solent LEP Board Members agreed a three-point response plan just one week after the initial announcement from Ford, in order to ensure the city and wider region are prepared to hit the ground running following Fords departure. Further detail on the plan follows.
A multi-agency task force has been established consisting of officers from the Solent LEP, Southampton City Council, Eastleigh Borough Council and other key agencies such as Job Centre Plus. The group will work in partnership with Ford until the plant closes its doors next summer in order to ensure appropriate support is in place for the employees and SMEs that will be affected. Areas of work will include ensuring those affected have access to the skills and training support on offer, alongside more traditional forms of support such as assistance finding new employment through Job Centre Plus.
As previously announced, the Solent LEP has been awarded £2m in funding to roll out the successful Bridging the Gap Funding programme to Southampton and the Isle of Wight. In light of the Ford closure, the Solent LEP are working with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), to accelerate the roll out of this programme and ensure it is in place as soon as possible to cover those workers at Ford who may be looking at self-employment as an option and those SMEs in the Ford supply chain that will require support recalibrating their business. In addition, the Solent LEP have requested the remit of the scheme be broadened so that those affected by the Ford closure can be supported, even if they do not fall within the Southampton local authority boundary. The LEP is now hoping to have the programme up and running by the end of November, subject to agreement with BIS. In addition, the Solent LEP will be requesting additional funding from government in order to establish a business transformation programme to support supply chain SMEs in developing new markets and customer bases in the absence of Ford.
The Solent LEP recognise that the Southampton Ford Transit Plant is a prime business location in the city and the LEP, in partnership with Southampton City Council, will be seeking to secure a long term future for the site linked to job creation. In the coming weeks, LEP and Council officers will be exploring the possibility of establishing a Local Development Order (LDO) for the site which will result in simplified planning processes for high value companies creating significant job opportunities on the site.
In addition to the emerging response plan, the Solent LEP intends to accelerate their work with both Southampton and Portsmouth City Councils and central Government in order to bring forward a City Deal for the Solent. It is hoped that the devolved responsibilities and powers a City Deal would bring to the area will allow the LEP and cities to explore wider economic growth opportunities that will assist in mitigating the job losses at Ford.
Further discussions are scheduled to take place at the Solent LEP Board Meeting on Friday 23rd November 2012.
Following last night’s meeting, Doug Morrison, Solent LEP Chairman, said:
“Our primary focus at the LEP is job creation and last week’s news that Ford were closing their Southampton Plant was a blow to everyone here. We had an extremely productive meeting last night and it is important that we have a strategy in place to respond to the situation. The LEP is well placed to work with all partners involved and we have good relationships with the relevant government departments, local support organisations, private sector groups and companies that will be able to offer assistance in these tough times. Strategy can only get us so far though and we now need swift action on the ground in Southampton if we are to mitigate the economic impact of the closure. I look forward to receiving first reports back from the task force later this month.”
Solent LEP Director and Leader of Southampton City Council, Richard Williams, said:
“Ford workers, local companies and the city as a whole have a turbulent time ahead of us following this closure, but I have no doubt that we will bounce back from this. Our task force will be speaking with Ford today in order to begin the process of engaging with them and identifying exactly where they can offer the most effective support in the short term.
In the longer term, whilst we are of course sad to lose a company like Ford from the city, I am committed to ensuring the site remains focussed on job creation and will be making this a top priority for my staff. With the additional incentives we can put in place, I am hopeful we can secure new job opportunities on the site after Ford close, and the training and skills support we initiate now will ensure our local workforce can secure the new jobs created at the site.”
Further information will be made available on www.solentlep.org.uk as the situation develops.
