UNDERFUNDED and unaccountable: that’s the government’s local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) according to a survey of council leaders released yesterday.

LEPs, introduced in 2011, are formed by local authorities and businesses to decide what the priorities should be for investment in roads, buildings and facilities in its area.

But the survey of English county council leaders found that, while LEPs helped deliver major infrastructure projects, there were concerns over the way decisions were made and how the groups were resourced.

The County Councils Network (CCN) survey received responses from 21 of the 37 authorities serving county areas in England.

More than three-quarters (76 per cent) agreed or strongly agreed that LEPs were unaccountable, 62 per cent believed they lacked sufficient devolved funds.

CCN spokesman Jim Harker said: “LEPs need to streamline their decision-making while ensuring their work is tailored to local needs. Equally, they need the devolved funding and powers to get the job done.”