City region to launch RDA replacement
BUSINESS leaders have welcomed moves to create a new local enterprise partnership for the Leeds city region to fill the gap left by the abolition of Yorkshire Forward.
The leaders of the 11 councils that make up the city region partnership are writing to the Government signalling their intent to create the new LEP.
Ministers wrote to local authorities last month confirming their intention to abolish regional development agencies and asking councils and business leaders to consider how they could work together in future.
Yorkshire Forward has also been ordered to cut its budget by £40m as part of cutbacks in public sector spending.
Coun Stephen Houghton, leader of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, has been named interim chairman of the new LEP.
He said: “City region leaders have taken the decision to develop a local enterprise partnership for the city region on the basis that this is the level at which our businesses operate and communities live their day to day lives.
“We have a strong track record of working together across boundaries over the past six years and we look forward to working with business in the coming months to develop a joint approach to driving growth and rebalancing our economy.”
The announcement was welcomed by the Leeds, York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.
Chief executive Gary Williamson said: “After consulting with Chamber members the view is that there are a number of logical reasons why the Leeds City Region is a natural fit for a LEP, including the geography and the fact that the LCR partnership has already made some progress in developing a strong relationship with the private sector.
“Many strategies for economic development have already been introduced as part of the LCR partnership, but above all it is a functional economic area, which for business is most important.
“Businesses very rarely limit their sales and aspirations to the tightly drawn local authority boundaries. It is a good day for sensible decision making and the Chamber will play a full role in what should be a business led partnership.”
