The South East Local Enterprise Partnership (Selep) has been told it needs to increase the number of women on its board after a government review into the role of the regional organisations nationwide.

The Local Enterprise Partnerships (Lep), which unite local authorities with the business community to spearhead economic growth, were subject of the review, entitled Strengthening Local Enterprise Partnerships, published this week.

It is designed to make them more accountable and transparent.

There are some 38 regional bodies with the Selep covering Kent, Medway, East Sussex, Southend and Thurrock.

Among the recommendations were for for women to make up at least one third of Lep boards by 2020.

In the south east, the Selep is made up of a number of boards representing each area.

The Kent and Medway board has eight members. Just one, Jo James, chief executive of the Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce, is a woman.

Across the entire Selep board, just four of the 28 members are female - the equivalent of 14%.

The government says it will help Lep boards have at least one third of women on their boards by 2020 "with an expectation to equal representation" three years later.

But Jo James insists the situation is not quite as bad as it seems.

She said: "It is disappointing that there is a disproportionate number of women on the Selep, but it really should come down to who is best placed to do the job, irrespective of gender or race.

"The reality is that half the members of the local Lep are elected representatives from the public sector - so council leaders. So is one in four of the other posts being female so bad? I just think the key thing is getting the right person to represent the wider voices they represent.

"Success, for local business communities, will be measured by whether companies feel that they have a strong voice in setting long-term strategy for their area, a say in prioritising resources, and ultimately, whether Leps deliver tangible improvements to the local business environment. They will also want to be sure that Leps are truly strategic in their approach – and avoid crowding out private sector activity, which has been a significant problem in some areas in the past."

Adam Bryan, managing director of Selep, added: “We particularly welcome the recommendations for fairer and appropriate representation on Lep boards. We will continue to work with our partners locally to meet the requirement for 33% membership of female representatives, specifically at strategic board level, but also ensuring a strong business voice is effectively represented at all Lep levels.

In addition, says the report, Leps will be asked to consider if mergers or changes to their geographical make-up are necessary.

The report says Leps will be asked to "come forward with considered proposals by the end of September on geographies which best reflect real functional economic areas, remove overlaps and, where appropriate, propose wider changes such as mergers".

However, Christian Brodie, chair of the Selep, hinted it would not propose any shift.

He said: “This is a clear statement from government that Leps are here to stay. The South East Lep has a strong track record in delivery and we are making a real difference through our current Local Growth Fund projects.

“We go above and beyond to have strong accountability and transparency in our processes.

“Our Strategic Board is strongly of the opinion that our model of working gives us the ability to look at the bigger picture and influence economically transformative interventions such as the Lower Thames Crossing, while our federated model provides focus and expertise on a more local level.

“Our members believe Selep is working better than ever for communities and businesses across the area.”