ANYONE reading today’s story about science and cities minister Greg Clark’s visit to York to ‘sign over’ £122 million of funding for new science research centres, jobs and road improvements might be forgiven for detecting a whiff of electioneering in the air.
None of this money is really new. More than £110 million of the money – which will be used, among other things, to create an ‘agri-food’ science campus at Sand Hutton and a Bio-hub at the University of York – was pledged last July. A further £12 million, to be used for improvements to the A1079 and the A1/A59 junction, was announced last month.
Whatever the politics, this money is welcome. It has been awarded to the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding ‘Local Enterprise Partnership’ (LEP) through Whitehall’s ‘Growth Deals’ programme.
The two science-based projects the funding will support are between them expected to create 1,300 jobs, and will cement York’s reputation as a global leader in food science and bio-renewable technology.
Other projects which will benefit, in addition to the road improvements, include Old Malton’s new livestock market.
The emphasis on the rural economy was one of the factors that made the LEP’s funding bid so special, Mr Clark said yesterday. Too often, rural areas are the poor neighbours when it comes to allocation of government funding. By supporting a major agricultural science project, rural road improvements and a livestock market, this funding at least recognises that the rural economy matters.
That is good news – regardless of any politicking.
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