Bernstein wary of ‘dangers and uncertainties’
SIR Howard Bernstein has warned of “dangers and uncertainties” in the months ahead as Manchester and the North West moves to the new system of Local Enterprise Partnerships.
The chief executive of Manchester City Council told TheBusinessDesk.com that the region must react quickly to create the structures which will succeed the North West Development Agency, including a strategic region-wide body.
He said:”The biggest single priority for the region is creating a platform for orderly transition. It is important too that the LEP proposals are robust and that they complement each other.”
This will, he says, help the North West: “Stay in a strong position and be able to cope with significant reductions in public funding and secure its right and proper share of what public funding is awaiable.”
He accepts that if there is not a coherent approach, credibility and more importantly funding will be lost.
While declining to comment directly on the situation in Lancashire, where there are three separate LEP proposals, Sir Howard said a piece-meal approach was not ideal: “There are inherent dangers and uncertainties associated with the current announcement.”
Sir Howard, who will address a meeting today at Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce on LEPs, said he was aware of concerns around greater levels of centralisation, which could mean that local decision-making on key areas such as inward investment, may be lost to Whitehall.
“As I’ve said there are dangers and uncertianties, but the Government’s localist agenda has to be welcomed. We are working with our partners and the Development Agency to create an orderly transition and make sure we create a platform for growth for Manchester.
“There is no evidence at the moment that organisations like MIDAS (Greater Manchester’s inward investment agency) and Marketing Manchester, will not continue to play a full-some part of our growth agenda.”
He said any strategic, regional body would have to be “tightly focused, democratically-elected and unbureaucratic”, and have the support of the wider business community.
