Leeds LEP chairman looks for long term success

NEWLY appointed Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership chairman Neil McLean wants the body to set long term goals to give the region the best opportunity to recover from the downturn.

In his first interview since being handed the role, Mr McLean also told TheBusinessDesk.com that one of his key objectives would be to ensure that the business community fully understands the functions of LEPs and how they can help the region.

Mr McLean, who is retiring as managing partner of law firm DLA Piper in Leeds at the end of April, said interviews for board members of the Leeds LEP were starting today and that the board, which should be fully operational by April, would be made up of senior figures from both the private and public sectors.

He said in his role as chairman of the LEP, he would receive a “nominal” payment for his commitment of four to five days a month working for the body, although he envisages spending more time than he is contracted to in the role.  

LEPs between local authorities and business are the bodies replacing regional development agencies, including Yorkshire Forward.

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Prominent lawyer Mr McLean has served on the Leeds Skills Board, is a director of the Leeds, York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and is chairman of the board of governors of Leeds City College.

Acknowledging the Leeds LEP was still in its early stages of formation, Mr McLean said he was confident that his past career and experience helping to set the skills agenda, his extensive business knowledge locally and nationally and his contacts within the corporate community would help make it a worthwhile organisation.

He said: “I’ve been in business for more than 30 years so I hope I can contribute something that can be put into the mix so to speak. I’m now in a position both physically and time-wise that I can take on these roles.

“If you can contribute constructively to the debate and get people working together, break down some of the barriers, help rebuild the regional economy, boost employment opportunities and get the skills agenda working well then that can benefit both economic and social aspects. 

“The LEP is about trying to get people to talk openly about the issues and concerns about the way to go forward rather than central government telling us what we can do and what we can’t do.”

He described the geographical and political boundaries between the Leeds City Region and other LEPs, such as Sheffield, as “soft” boundaries and said LEPs should work together if there were the right opportunities.

He conceded that there was much scepticism among the business and wider communities about the role and understanding of LEPs but stressed the opportunity it would bring to the bring the publc and private sectors closer together.

Mr McLean said: “We’ve got to get people to understand what the LEP is all about. If you look at responses to TheBusinessDesk.com’s State of the Region survey which DLA Piper has supported the understanding of LEPs is minimal.

“But that’s no real surprise as the Government has said that LEPs are there for whatever the region’s want them to do. What we want the LEP to be doing is really working hard to investigate opportunities, whether that’s for inward investment, real innovation working with universities for spin outs and so on, and helping the manufacturing sector which is bearing up reasonably well.”

Mr McLean also hopes a role of the LEP will be to help companies broaden their international trade horizons.

“This is all about working with people and providing a platform,” he added. “If in one, two, three or five years time we’ve got a LEP which has really got people working together, investing in innovation and job creation then that’s really what we’re aiming for.

“We’re in very difficult times and what we need is a bit of leadership and to get a positive view (from business) of where we can go and how we can get there and hopefully we’ll get the power to help to do that.”

As the operational side of the LEP will be funded by local authorities, Mr McLean said it was imperative that other funding streams for LEPs, including government cash, were finalised so the bodies could plan for the future.

THE Government is planning to hold a summit for Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) chiefs in the spring when it will also reveal details of extra funding available to the new bodies. Until now, the only source of funding available to the new bodies has been the national £1.4bn Regional Growth Fund.

“The LEP will help and support (funding) bids but the LEP will not be trying to grab pots of money unto itself.”

On the outlook for the economy, Mr McLean said: “There are a lot of people holding their breath in terms of where we’re heading. Unpredictability is a little bit corrosive. But there are businesses starting to perform and manufacturing is certainly helping with that.

“I’ve also started to see corporate and property deals being done and there are indicators that although we’ve been bouncing along the bottom perhaps we’re now bouncing a bit higher.”

The Leeds City Region LEP, which was one of 24 along with Sheffield approved nationwide by Business Secretary Vince Cable last October, brings together a group of 11 local authorities (Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Craven, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds, Selby, Wakefield, York and North Yorkshire County Council) with businesses and partners to support economic growth across the city region.