Councillors included in delegation for US trade mission
Questions on aims and cost go unanswered
Three Causeway Coast and Glens councillors have crossed the Atlantic this week as part of a trade mission to North Carolina.
The trip has been organised by the borough’s Local Economic Partnership (LEP).
Funded by the Department for the Economy, LEPs were set up to act as “catalysts for economic transformation” by tailoring interventions to the specific needs of historically under-preforming regions.
The Chronicle understands one Sinn Fein and two DUP councillors are on the North Carolina trip, alongside two council officers plus representatives from Ulster University and Causeway Chamber.
In a bid to find out their specific aims, the Chronicle contacted the council one week ago but has yet to receive a response.
Though LEPs are a Stormont initiative, Causeway Coast and Glens Council is the “accountable body” and plays a significant role in administering the partnership.
Questions over the cost of travel and accommodation have also gone unanswered.
What is known is that in September a delegation of business and government representatives from North Carolina were at the Galgorm House Hotel for a “a high-level engagement event” hosted Causeway Coast And Glens LEP.
A council press statement released after the event said: “There are strong areas of economic alignment between North Carolina and Northern Ireland, including advanced manufacturing, life sciences, technology, innovation and agri-tech, providing a strong basis upon which future relationships can be developed.
“Local businesses have established new relationships with North Carolina business and government representatives, with further discussions planned to explore potential commercial, investment and collaborative opportunities”.
LEPs were established under a new Stormont strategy that aims to rebalance NI’s economy in favour of outlying regions.
Backed by £4.5 million in funding Causeway Coast and Glen LEP brings together representatives from local government, business, education, community organisations, and statutory agencies “to co-design and implement interventions that respond to the unique economic challenges and opportunities within the Causeway Coast and Glens Borough”.
Among those challenges are low productivity, below-average wages, high economic inactivity, and reliance on low-margin industries such as tourism and retail.
The LEP’s role is to act as a catalyst for economic transformation by identifying local priorities, coordinating investment, and ensuring that economic development activity is responsive to the needs of businesses and communities.
The council is the accountable body and it operates under a board chaired by a senior council official.