A £158 million European cash injection is set to stimulate jobs and growth across the county and region. And businesses will help decide how it’s spent.

The government is to allocate money from the European Regional Development Fund and the European Social Fund directly to local enterprise partnerships, including the business-led SE LEP.

The aim is to stimulate growth and jobs, while decision-making powers will be transferred from Whitehall to local areas. Business Minister Michael Fallon, MP for Sevenoaks, said the funding was a real boost for local growth.

He said: “We are reversing years of centralisation by handing LEPs responsibility for this funding, alongside the new £2 billion a year Single Local Growth Fund. This is a positive step towards giving local areas greater control.”

For the first time, LEPs would be “in the driving seat” with the power to decide how the funds were best targeted.

SE LEP director Dr Susan Priest said: “We welcome this allocation which will allow us to invest in more schemes and projects to stimulate growth and create jobs. We are working closely with partners to develop an investment prospectus that recognises growth opportunities and will be taking a final version of this plan to the SE LEP Board towards the end of the year.”

The county is already benefiting from £35m of Regional Growth Fund money for East Kent and is poised to gain £20m from TIGER funding for North Kent and Medway. Meanwhile, SE LEP is campaigning for better mobile phone coverage after a survey found that poor or non-existent service is stifling jobs, contracts and business efficiency. Businesses say they are losing as much as £10,000 from lost sales and damaged reputation.

The survey highlighted four “cold spot” areas – the A228 in the Mereworth/East Malling area; North of Folkestone up to Canterbury; Sittingbourne up to Isle of Sheppey; and along the coast from Dover to Deal.

SE LEP chairman John Spence, made a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours, said: “Our research clearly shows that poor or no mobile phone coverage is more than just a mild frustration for businesses.

"It is having a profound impact on their ability to further stimulate economies through creating new jobs.”