New chair to promote public private collaboration at northern business group

Collaboration between the private and public sectors can boost growth and level up the North’s economy according to the NP11 group of northern local enterprise partnerships (LEPs).

The pan-northern group has welcoming a new interim chair – Clare Hayward, who is chair of the Cheshire and Warrington LEP.

Hayward has been appointed acting chair of the NP11, succeeding Sir Roger Marsh.

She said: “Through our work so far, we have demonstrated the power of effective partnership working – across boundaries and between public and private sectors – to create new economic opportunities for the North.

“With the economy uppermost in business, regional and national leaders’ minds, this partnership working has never been more important.

“We need to work together to ensure businesses can grow, innovate and create jobs across our region, and to take advantage of transformational opportunities such as the transition to Net Zero, which the North is in pole position to lead for the UK.

“We welcome the Government’s commitment to the NP11 so we can continue to forge these partnerships and unleash our region’s enormous economic potential.

“I would like to thank Sir Roger Marsh for his infinite passion and dedication to the North and for all his work in bringing partners together as Chair of the NP11 for the past five years.”

Sir Roger had chaired NP11 since it was established by Government in 2018.

Under his leadership, the NP11 has overseen three Conventions of the North, published the “Manifesto for the North” ahead of the 2019 General Election and developed policy to unlock the potential of the North’s economy for the wider UK.

He said: “Having been born in Teesside, educated and built my career in West Yorkshire, and worked on policy to advance the North during my time in the Cabinet Office and as senior managing partner at PwC in Leeds, I am hugely proud of this great region and passionate about its future.

“As I’ve consistently argued, the North is the solution to many of the challenges the UK faces, and this is truer than ever as we work to generate new sources of growth, tackle the climate emergency, and build a more inclusive economy for all.

“Clare Hayward exemplifies this commitment to pan-northern collaboration and ensuring our region is at the forefront of future UK prosperity.”

Dehenna Davison, the Government’s Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Levelling Up, added: “The NP11 is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when businesses and local leaders come together, working across geographic boundaries and sectors to achieve common goals.

“This is the essence of levelling up: identifying clear local priorities and then working with local partners, backed by Government, to realise them.

“The Government welcomes the positive progress the NP11 has made against our shared missions of growing the economy, creating opportunity and building a strong Global Britain.”