The leader of South Holland District Council has criticised Lincolnshire County Council for cutting a £20m fund meant to benefit places like the Food Enterprize Zone (FEZ) in Holbeach.
The Economic Investment Programme was announced by Lincolnshire County Council last year for five years of funding specifically for the agri-food sector as well as the defence and advanced manufacturing sectors.
Earlier this year the Reform led authority announced it was stopping the fund saying the move was due to it being initially financed by loans.
The FEZ has been used in arguments for both those for and against the funding.
Speaking as the county council passed the cut in its budget, Liam Kelly, executive member for growth, said: “We’re doing everything we can to improve the lot of the business centres however the occupancy rate (at the Holbeach Hub) is 42 per cent.
“How can we invest and put more debt on to the council tax payer when we have such low occupancy rates?”
“We’re looking at what we can that affords best value for the council tax payer and we will review it as part of next year’s budget process.”
Speaking at last week’s meeting of South Holland District Council though, Conservative leader Coun Nick Worth accused the county council of ‘not supporting South Holland businesses’.
“There’s going to be a massive impact from them withdrawing the funding from the FEZ,” he said. “When I listened to the executive member of economic development saying that the FEZ is under-used, well yes it will be under-used because unless you invest in the infrastructure, the lighting, the electricity, the roads you won’t get people on there.
“You need to invest in it to get businesses on to the site.
“Effectively what they’re doing is not supporting local businesses in South Holland by doing this.”
Coun Worth then quoted the ‘interesting’ budget announced by Mayor Andrea Jenkyns saying: “I before e – infrastructure before expansion.
“I couldn’t agree more with that,” he said.
“She also says she bring proposals to support the farming industry and bringing technology to support them so as a result I will be writing to the mayor to see if she can help us out where clearly the county council are not.”
