Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership is demonstrating commendable ambition in applying for a second enterprise zone so quickly.

It has already been told it can set up one zone, where employers will receive tax breaks, and has opted for Birmingham city centre as a location.

Now, it is applying for a massive enterprise “belt” which would cover parts of Solihull, Cannock, Lichfield, Tamworth, Burton, Redditch, Bromsgrove and Kidderminster.

The difficulty is that the Government has received 29 expressions of interest from partnerships, and only ten new zones will be created in this round.

In the circumstances, Ministers may be reluctant to award a second zone to an area which already has one.

The fact that so many councils and chambers of commerce have agreed to join forces is one of Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP’s strengths.

But it may also have disadvantages. The LEP perhaps deserves two bites of the cherry – because of its economic importance and size – but such a decision might appear unfair.

However, there are also ambitious rival bids from LEPs across the West Midlands including Coventry and Warwickshire, Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, Herefordshire and Shropshire and Worcestershire.

They also deserve a fair shot at setting up their own enterprise zone.