ENTERPRISE M3 LEP outlined its roadmap for the successful delivery of its Growth Deal.

This was revealed yesterday at the Local Enterprise Partnership’s Growth Deal Seminar held at the H.G. Wells Events & Conference Centre, in Woking.

Those attending the event heard speakers outline the steps Enterprise M3 is taking to ensure the successful delivery of the region’s £118million Growth Deal and how businesses and major influencers can get involved.

The Growth Deal will help to create up to 8,000 jobs, allow more than 7,000 homes to be built and generate up to £440m in public and private investment in the Enterprise M3 area.

Speakers delivered detailed presentations highlighting the work that is being completed in the four key areas of the Growth Deal – innovation and enterprise, skills, transport and housing to deliver transformative growth in the Enterprise M3 area.

Geoff French, Enterprise M3 chairman, said: “We were delighted so many businesses and influencers attended our seminar. “We are committed to engaging with local and regional stakeholders, bringing together the private, public and third sectors to deliver projects that drive economic growth.

“By engaging with the business community we can ensure investment is made in projects that will provide measureable benefits and economic growth in the region.” Speakers at the event included Enterprise M3 executive director Kathy Slack, who outlined the work that the LEP is doing with existing and new project partners to ensure successful delivery of the Growth Deal projects.

She also discussed the governance structures that the LEP is putting in place to assess proposals for 2015/16 and future years, alongside the performance measures and mechanisms for reporting back to local partners. Included in these governance structures is the appointment of five new private sector board members early next month.

Also speaking at the seminar were a range of private and public sector partners who outlined the work that is already being done in the area to deliver transformative growth in the four priority areas.

These included Mike Shepherd, development and regeneration director at Sentinel Housing Association.

He spoke about Sentinel’s housing development, on the former Eli Lilly site, on Kingsclere Road, which is set to be transformed into a new housing estate with nearly 600 homes, and the role that Enterprise M3’s Growing Enterprise Fund has played in funding this project.