Regional Challenge (Hansard, 11 December 1995)

§ Mr. Eggar

I am today announcing the successful regional challenge projects in England which will receive grant totalling £140 million towards projects costing almost £800 million.

Regional challenge is designed to enhance local partnerships, stimulate innovative local development and maximise the contribution of the private sector. The projects announced today will bring a new dynamism and efficiency to local economies across England. Local firms will play a major role in projects ranging from industrial and transport infrastructure, tourism, research and development and environmental improvement to training and job creation.

I am particularly encouraged by the wide range of local bodies that have been involved in the development of regional challenge projects. The competition has encouraged the far greater involvement of the private sector. This involvement is clearly reflected in its contributions to projects which account for almost half the total costs of the winning projects, and have added considerably to quality and value for money. The value of the dialogue between the public and private sectors about what is needed in local communities is shown by the type of projects that have been put forward.

Regional challenge projects are typically larger in scale, more comprehensive in their effect, and better address the specific needs of local communities. This culture of co-operation will benefit not only today's winners. I hope that, as with previous competitions, many of the partnerships brought together by regional challenge will go ahead with part or all of their projects, even though they are not winners, thus spreading the benefits of the challenge even wider.

A list of winning projects is set out:

1 Lairdside (Birkenhead)
2 New Media Factory (Liverpool)
3 Eurogateway (Bootle)
4 Cornwall and Devon tourism development
5 Rural area training and information opportunities (Cornwall and Devon)
6 Swaffham eco-tech centre
7 Action to support planning investment for regeneration and enterprise
8 Networking Business and the community (Hereford and Worcester, Shropshire)
9 Whitby beacon
10 Hills of the North (Cumbria)
11 Lincolnshire access network
12 Adams Building (Nottingham)
13 Pumping life back into the Coalfield community (Broughton)
14 The Great Northern and Lowly Project (Manchester and Salford)
15 China Gateway North West (Manchester, Lancashire and Cheshire)
16 North West Business Excellence Initiative (Manchester, Lancashire and Cheshire)
17 Integrated Waste Management (Sheffield)
18 Technology Challenge (Yorkshire and Humberside)
19 Earth Centre (Dearne Valley)
20 The year of the electronic Image (Yorkshire and Humberside)
21 South Humber Bank Industrial and Technological Regeneration (Cleethorpes)
22 European centre for advanced industries (North Shields)
23 Teeside Innovation Partnership (Teeside)
24 Raising Regional competitiveness (Tyne and Wear, Northumberland, Co. Durham and Cleveland)
25 International centre for life (Newcastle)
26 Trent Challenge (Rugely and Armitage with Hansacre)
27 Renaissance Canal (area wide)
28 Creating a World Class Supplier Base (Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley)
29 Starting with a competitive advantage (Coventry)
30 Digital City of Stoke on Trent (Stoke on Trent)
31 West Midlands Interactive Technology Centre (Coalbrookdale, Telford)
32 East London and Lee Valley Teleregion
33 Manufacturing—a new future for East London (Tower Hamlets)
34 Robin Hood Regeneration Corridor.