Building back better: Dorset LEP delivers multi-million investment programme

Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is proud to have successfully managed delivery of a major multi-million capital investment programme to support Dorset’s recovery from the pandemic.

As the local body responsible for driving Dorset’s economic growth and championing the region’s businesses, Dorset LEP secured £11.8 million of the government’s Getting Build Fund in 2020.

Through this fund, set up by government to support ‘shovel-ready’ projects with potential to boost local economic recovery, Dorset LEP invested in nine projects across the county. The projects ranged from facilitating research, medical innovation and clinical practice enhancements in local NHS provision and healthcare education institutions, improving full-fibre digital connectivity across rural Dorset, while also ensuring an essential post-Brexit trading environment at the Port of Poole.

Significantly, a new facility at Kingston Maurwood College in Dorchester will enhance higher education opportunities for young people and enable growth for small rural businesses across the Dorset Council area.

Collectively, this programme of investment has already created and safeguarded 152 jobs, 480m2 of commercial space, enabled an increase in skills provision through the development of 237m2 of learning facilities, assisting 120 new learners. Fibre broadband connections in urban and rural areas are supporting local businesses and 14 businesses/institutions have benefitted to date. Overall investment in Dorset through these projects is expected to increase to over £26.8 million by 2025, through on-going public and private sector investment.

Cecilia Bufton, Dorset LEP’s Chair said: “Our Getting Building Fund investments have been a tremendous success and it’s wonderful to see the positive impacts already being made. Since 2015, Dorset LEP has invested over £192 million of capital funding across the county. These investments are helping to stimulate the local economy and provide the conditions needed for business and enterprise to thrive and grow, promoting Dorset as an attractive place to live, learn and work.”  

By 2025, the Getting Building Fund projects are expected to deliver a range of benefits:

• Support 40,445 new learners
• Enable 14,107 new superfast broadband connections
• Create/safeguard 342 jobs
• Deliver 80 apprenticeships
• Support 250 businesses
• Unlock 1,505 m2 commercial space
• Unlock 1,787 m2 learning space
• Unlock 150 m2 of space for research and development activities
• Save 23,100kgs of Co2 emissions in Dorset.

As these projects reach key milestones we will share details across our platforms and on project pages - visit our online project grid for full details of our Getting Building Fund projects.

Left to right:

Public Trade Office ribbon cutting, Dorset Clinical Trials Unit ribbon cutting, Integrated Rehabilitation Centre groundbreaking.

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Notes to editors:

Getting Building Fund 

On 4 August 2020, the government confirmed the list of over 300 successful projects which will receive a share of £900 million from the Getting Building Fund. The full list of projects is available on GOV.UK. 

The Getting Building Fund is investing in shovel-ready infrastructure projects to create jobs and support economic recovery across the country. Projects funded include: 

• regeneration of town and city centres 
• green infrastructure and clean energy 
• transport and digital connectivity improvements 
• unlocking of housing and business sites 
• support for SMEs and learners 

The successful projects are expected to deliver up to 85,000 jobs, over 1,500,000 sqm of commercial floor space, unlocking 45,000 homes, almost 1,000,000 sqm of public realm or green space improved or created, over 50,000 new learners assisted, and 65 million kgs of CO2 emissions saved. 

All projects have been selected by Local Enterprise Partnerships and Mayoral Combined Authorities in each area and endorsed by the Housing Secretary.