A PLAN from enterprise chiefs could create thousands of jobs and bring tens of millions of pounds of investment into the county, the Dorset Echo can reveal.

Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) has revealed its draft Statement of Intent which will sets out what the county can offer Government and UK businesses, proposes potential funding opportunities of Government and lays out the economic opportunity for the county.

In the report, the LEP says: “This Statement of Intent sets out our ambition and vision for Dorset. There is a huge opportunity, for our area and the country as a whole, if we can get this right.

“We are ready and able to be a pioneer for a new kind of high productivity growth, within a sustainable 21st Century City and Modern County that promotes healthy living.”

Under the plans, which were discussed at a meeting of the Dorset LEP board last week, chiefs said that they could double the size of the county’s economy over the next 20 years.

They said that this will add an estimated £17 billion and 80,000 jobs to the UK economy.

The plan will consist of several objectives which the LEP will look into which include:

n Drive growth in our key sectors - Welcoming the opportunity to co-create a Local Industrial Strategy with Government that supports innovation and investment in creative digital (createch), advanced engineering, and agri-tech / aquaculture.

n Work with Government to prioritise investment in connectivity: A new strategy will be created which will focus on connectivity to support 21st century, high technology growth.

This includes investment in local transport links, strategic links with other areas, and improved broadband and mobile connectivity to support digital growth and technology uptake.

n Pursue an affordable housing deal for local workers: This will include seeking a £215 million affordable housing deal with Government made up of £160 million for unlocking infrastructure, £50 million for affordable housing and £5

million for technical analysis and planning support.

Alongside this, a range of opportunities for development of affordable housing at scale will be explored which includes sustainable urban extensions, and possibly a garden village.

n Pursue a Healthy Living Deal with Government to support improved health outcomes: The LEP will develop a pioneering approach to supporting sustainable and healthy living across Dorset, using better delivery models and new technology.

n Create a vibrant and sustainable 21st-century city by the sea: The LEP will pursue formal city status and Core City status for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole by creating a one-city approach that respects the importance of different areas within the city.

This, the LEP says, will build strong links to growth towns including Dorchester and Weymouth.

Jim Stewart, chairman of the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Dorset is a place with tremendous opportunity. “In this Statement of Intent, we have set out how we– public sector partners and local businesses alike – intend to build a more productive, more attractive, more connected Dorset.

“Crucially, we will continue to improve and develop the quality of our places.

“We are fortunate to be an area that mixes high quality cultural and creative attractions, superb heritage and unparalleled coastal and rural beauty.

“We recognise that our area faces challenges as well. We do not yet have the homes or infrastructure needed to support the kind of growth we want.”

It comes after the LEP announced expressed a desire to explore, in partnership with Government, the potential development of a Local Industrial Strategy.

Councillor Sean Woodward, a director of the Solent LEP, said: “We are looking at working even closer with the Dorset LEP.

“Both organisations to looking to improve the economics and infrastructure in their areas.”

The vision will be officially launched in the autumn with a full submission to government expected shortly afterwards.