Impact of Yorkshire Forward cuts revealed
THE EXTENT of the cuts to Yorkshire Forward’s budget by the Government can be revealed with Business Link, Marketing Leeds and a number of high profile regeneration and investment programmes facing uncertain futures after having their funding severely hit.
Business Link, which delivers free, impartial advice to firms, is to have a total of £4.5m of funding pulled or deferred as part of £40.27m of cuts the Government has ordered Yorkshire Forward to make from its £270m budget this financial year.
The Business Link network is to be phased out along with Regional Development Agencies, Business and enterprise minister Mark Prisk has said.
Included in the Business Link funding cuts is £1.5m earmarked for ‘innovation advisors’ employed by Business Link who would work with regional companies in the bioscience, chemicals and healthcare technology sectors. The funding for the specialist positions has been deferred.
The futures of numerous other bodies in Yorkshire are also in doubt following the cuts.
In a document listing the cuts seen by TheBusinessDesk.com, the Northern Way, a 20-year Government strategy to transform the economy of the North of England which is funded by the North’s three regional development agencies, will have £660,000 of its funding cut by Yorkshire Forward.
Marketing Leeds, the city’s strategic marketing organisation, will have £100,000 cut, while £100,000 is also to be taken from Yorkshire Futures, which aims to provide a collaborative approach to research.
Financial Leeds, the body formed to support the growth of the financial services sector in Leeds, will also have £100,000 funding taken away by Yorkshire Forward.
More than £1m has also been pulled from a scheme which provides loans of up to £25,000 to businesses in deprived areas.
Numerous regeneration and public realm projects also face uncertain futures.
A scheme to improve the appearence and connections between Barnsley town centre and the Gateway Plaza scheme in the town is to have £1.21m of funding deferred; the Tower Works development scheme in Leeds is to have £2.4m deferred; and Bradford’s City Park will have also £1.3m deferred.
A £40,000 feasibility study to create a new city quarter in York – named York Central – has had £40,000 cut, while The Tyrls, the former headquarters of West Yorkshire Police which is now owned by Yorkshire Forward, is to have £100,000 cut from proposed maintenance work.
A decision on £938,000 of Yorkshire Forward funding for public realm work in Rotherham has also been deferred.
Other cuts include £50,000 sponsorship from Yorkshire Forward for the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, a £750,000 events programme for tourism agency Welcome to Yorkshire and almost £2.7m for the Response to Redundancies programme, which aims to support people who have been made, or are at risk of being made, redundant.
Yorkshire Forward is also cutting £250,000 from its own marketing budget.
Earlier today, Yorkshire Forward chairman Terry Hodgkinson said: “We will continue to talk with partners as to where the reductions will need to take place and how individual projects will be affected.
“This will involve both delaying work, and stopping some schemes and initiatives altogether. In some cases, where funds have already been committed, we will need to investigate existing contractual commitments. We will look to minimise the impact on our partners through this difficult period.”
