Leeds City Region Week: LEP chairman calls for government action
THE chairman of the newly established Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership has challenged the government to help deliver the new “powerful and entrepreneurial” organisations.
Neil McLean was among a delegation of key figures from English regional LEPs who met Prime Minister David Cameron and senior government ministers including Nick Clegg, Vince Cable, Eric Pickles and Mark Prisk, in Coventry this week to try to hammer out details of how the organisations will work.
The Leeds LEP has named its board but question marks remain on how the body, which is one of a number replacing regional development agencies such as Yorkshire Forward, will be funded and operated.
Speaking to TheBusinessDesk.com at international property conference MIPIM in Cannes yesterday, Mr McLean said: “It is about being entrepreneurial. There have been hard times but we have a chance to make things happen.
“This is about devolving power from the centre – we have had nothing specific but a very public vote of support and encouragement to break the boundaries. The big test is whether power and sources of funding can be devolved.
“I want the region to develop a really aggressive agenda for what it wants to do and to take that to government to say what it wants to do.
“It will test them. We should be keeping more of what we contribute in our region. The Leeds City Region LEP is bigger than nine European countries.
“The Government now has to be tested on this. There is a will to make it happen. There is nervousness but we have to have a go – let’s see what we can do.”
Meanwhile, TheBusinessDesk.com’s Editor, David Parkin, is chairing an event organised by the Leeds City Region this morning discussing the role culture has in the regeneration of cities.
Mario Rubert, managing director of international economic relations for Barcelona City Council, will sit on the event panel, which is expected to be attended by 50 people.
The event will see discussion of the opportunities to drive economic development from the opening of the Hepworth Gallery, in Wakefield, and the Leeds Arena.
Later today, Leeds City Region will take part in a ‘Investor Quest’ event, chaired by Dragons’ Den star James Caan, which will see officials pitch ideas for city property schemes to potential investors for an imaginary pot of cash.
