Communities secretary James Brokenshire has threatened to withhold the shared prosperity fund (SPF) from areas that fail to remove local enterprise partnership (LEP) overlaps.
Mr Brokenshire has also warned that ‘additional capacity funding’ in 2018/19 will only be released to LEPs that resolve overlaps.
At least two areas have proposed not to remove overlaps between LEPs.
A letter from Mr Brokenshire, seen by The MJ, said: ‘Clarity of accountability and responsibility for developing strategies and implementing investment plans is critical and LEP overlaps reduce the direct accountability to local communities.
