Last updated at 10:28, Wednesday, 05 December 2012

MPs and councils are due to sign a business deal in a bid to boost Cumbrian business along a vital link to the rest of the UK on Friday.

South Lakeland District Council will be working with Carlisle City Council and Eden District Council on the Cumbria M6 corridor agreement.
The scheme aims to promote growth between junctions 36 and 44 on the M6.
MPs Tim Farron, Rory Stewart and John Stevenson will also attend the event.
The M6 Corridor Initiative recognises that all three councils are promoting growth through their planning documents covering housing, employment and business growth.
The scheme hopes to build on Cumbria’s strengths in business areas such manufacturing, which provides 23 per cent of the county’s output, in industry sector such as food and drink, and energy.
The Cumbria M6 Corridor Initiative outlines that the councils will work collaboratively to:

• Promote economic growth along the M6 corridor in East Cumbria
• Provide employment sites within easy reach of main transport routes
• Support development wherever it is most appropriate across the area
• Improve infrastructure and communication networks along the corridor
• Make it easier for businesses to relocate in the area
• Seek to attract new and growing investment
• Market the corridor as an area open for business
• Work with partners such as the County Council and Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership to facilitate growth

Mr Stewart, MP for Penrith and the borders, said: "The M6 corridor project is an excellent example of what we as MPs in Cumbria should be doing more of: working together for the greater good of our county, and putting party politics aside to highlight what we can do, in cooperation, to grow our economy, support our businesses and communities, and generate prosperity for all.
“The M6 is a symbolic road, stretching right through the heart of Cumbria, and is a lifeline to our businesses and industries.
“We want the M6 corridor to be an example for rural Britain, showing how we can attract investment and development that will power our economy as we move out of recession.
“I am delighted to be a part of this exciting project.”
By working collaboratively, the three councils will develop a more detailed assessment of the economic growth potential of the M6 Corridor, where key actions to attract private sector investment and stimulate growth could include:

• Superfast broadband connections to all strategic employment sites
• Addressing barriers to development and investment
• Aligning infrastructure funding with unlocking development sites
• Developing a coherent marketing and branding strategy for the M6 Corridor in Cumbria
• Developing a targeted package of support for priority sectors
• Delivering opportunities for new housing provision
• Creating a positive planning environment
• Engaging the education, skills, research and development offer of further and higher education providers

First published at 10:23, Wednesday, 05 December 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk