A PROPOSED link-up between Essex and Kent hopes to make the region’s economy one of the most competitive in the world.

The two counties have unveiled plans for a local enterprise partnership, a powerful regional body that will co-ordinate the development of the area’s economy, higher education and transport and infrastructure.

With a combined population of 3.4 million and home to 115,000 companies, Kent and Essex already contribute £55billion to the UK economy each year.

The two counties are ranked the 33rd most productive region in the EU. The new partnership hopes that by co-ordinating investment and planning, the combined area will punch its weight, like cities the size of Manchester and Stockholm.

The newly-formed partnership will initially ask for control of £65million of public funding, which was previously dished out by Whitehall and distributed by the East of England Development Agency to plough into regeneration, business and jobs.

The partnership will ask to collect and redistribute business tax revenues generated by the region, which currently go straight to central government.

It will urge the coalition Government to give it control of other central government grants covering training and business support.

Professor Colin Riordan, vice-chancellor of the University of Essex, is excited about the new partnership’s prospects.

He said: “It represents an extraordinary opportunity to bring people together.

“This area has a massive population, more than 100,000 businesses and already has some of the UK’s biggest ports and Stansted airport.

“If we get everyone working together it can achieve great things.”

The coalition Government has championed the creation of up to 36 local enterprise partnerships, to replace the nine regional development agencies that it axed earlier this year.

The new Essex and Kent partnership is set to be the biggest in the UK and is, therefore, likely to have significant clout.

The partnership has spearheaded a plan outlining its priorities, which has been submitted to the Department of Communities and Local Government.

Among these, will be delivering the Thames Gateway proposals to regenerate south Essex and north Kent.

It also hopes to have a role in developing major transport infrastructure in the region, such as the Dartford Crossing and the M25.

Stephen Castle, deputy chairman of Thames Gateway and Essex county councillor responsible for education, said: “The partnership is about moving away from central government control and towards local democracy.

“The area is in need of fresh investment and the partnership will bring in funding from the public and private sector.”

The partnership will be run by a strategic board, which will be made up of 33 members.

Sixteen of the seats will be made up from representatives of the two counties’ business communities.

Essex, Kent, Southend, Thurrock and Medway councils will each have one member, while the other members will be drawn from the two counties’ borough and district councils and higher education providers.

Prof Riordan said although the tax proposals were ambitious, they fitted in with the David Cameron’s vision of a Big Society He added: “I certainly don’t think it’s impossible because it would fit in with the policy of more local control the coalition Government is talking about.

“That’s what I understand the Big Society to be all about.

“I would have thought these ideas will have a fair wind, but whether they will all be adopted remains to be seen.”

Bid for cut in bridge tolls DARTFORD Crossing tolls could be reduced or scrapped altogether under plans put forward by the new Essex and Kent partnership.

The proposals are among a number of transport reforms the local enterprise partnership believes are crucial to boosting the region’s economy.

The partnership’s plan calls on the Government to allow it take over management of the Dartford Crossing from the private consortium that currently manages it.

The partnership wants to return tolling charges to pre-November 2008 levels, which would see car drivers charged £1, instead of £1.50 currently.

It is also considering reducing them further or scrapping them entirely to reduce the burden on businesses that use the bridge every day.

In the long term, the partnership supports the idea of a second Thames crossing.

Mark Giles, manager of Basildon firm Abby Couriers, welcomed the proposals.

He said: “Since the crossing went up to £1.50 the amount of congestion caused by people searching for change has been massive. We’ve got customers in Gravesend and Dartford, so our drivers use the crossing a lot and anything that can reduce congestion there would be welcome.”

The partnership’s vision to reform Essex’s creaking transport infrastructure stretches beyond the Dartford Crossing.

It wants the Government to rule out London mayor Boris Johnson’s plan for a Thames estuary airport until at least 2015 and instead focus on improving Southend airport and Manston in Kent.

In terms of rail, the partnership wants to oversee Government reviews of rail franchises in Kent and Essex to ensure operators such as c2c and National Express East Anglia provide enough trains and are not overcharging.

Mr Giles added: “I think it’s really important to support businesses at the strategic level.

“A lot of companies in south Essex have links with Kent, so it makes sense the counties are supporting one another.”

“Both the A13 and the A127 are pretty congested so if the partnership can get more funding, I’d be for it.”