CEO of revived Yorkshire attraction spells out the recipe for regional success

The CEO of Halifax’s restored Piece Hall delivered a rallying call to professionals at a networking barbecue in Leeds organised by TheBusinessDesk.com

Nicola Chance-Thompson addressed dozens of guests about why and how Yorkshire is succeeding in promoting itself to attract businesses and large events. And she spoke about the £19m transformation of the Georgian era Piece Hall, which has seen millions of visitors flock to it since it was re-opened two years ago.

She was part of a gathering of 70 delegates at the barbecue, staged at The Lock, on the ground floor of the Hilton Doubletree. The event was sponsored by CityFibre.

Chance-Thompson, who is originally from London but describes herself as a “Yorkshire woman by marriage”, said the county’s residents display grit, bravery, ingenuity, determination and talent to make their region a better place to live.

She highlighted the county’s enviable heritage, industry, landscape, sports, culture and talent. She pointed to its role as a host for major music, arts and sporting events and its healthy tourist industry.

And she singled out for special praise the TV producer, director and writer Sally Wainwright, who has raised the profile of the county through television dramas such as Last Tango in Halifax, Happy Valley and Gentleman Jack.

Chance-Thompson said: “I see a lot of pride in Yorkshire. It’s a great place to live and is totally awash with beautiful architecture and inspirational landscape.

“I’m always amazed at the calibre of the talent of the businesses we have here, and there’s so much to be excited about for this region.

“Yorkshire is fantastic at promoting itself and over the last 12 years it has become better at articulating what its goals are.”

She said she was pleased the new Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised to support a £39bn northern transport plan, which would include upgrading the rail link between Leeds and Manchester.

“We need to be thinking in terms of opportunity and it’s going to take bold leadership to make the investment happen,” she said.

“Recent rhetoric from the Prime Minister has suggested the investment will happen, and we deserve it.

“We need to ensure greater connectivity in terms of transport and digital technology. Many towns and cities in Yorkshire need more TLC, so it’s ‘job started’, not ‘job done’.

“For Yorkshire to keep growing it needs everyone here today to step up. We all need to play our part and tell the world how great this county is.

“And we should pressure the Government to make sure infrastructure matches this ambition. We should insist on having more from the taxpayers’ pot not less.”

Commenting on her involvement with the Piece Hall, she said: “When I saw it 12 years ago it was in decline and hadn’t had much investment since Queen Victoria was on the throne.

“It was getting about 200,000 visitors a year and most of the time the place was empty. Since it re-opened in 2017 it has had five million visitors. That leaves me feeling a bit staggered – it got 1.6m visitors just seven months into its re-opening.

“There’s a lot of love for this space. People who have come to see it have been inspired by the building and importantly they make return visits.

“When The Antique Roadshows came to the hall it attracted 18,000 people, which is a record for that show.

“The Piece Hall has also been used for other prime time TV shows and often features on radio. So it has become seen as the place to have some really important conversations.

“In a recent local survey eight our of 10 people said the Piece Hall was the best thing in Halifax.

“That’s what we wanted to hear. The Piece Hall can be loved across the world, but if local people aren’t taking it to heart we’re not doing something right. We have a lot to feel proud about.

“It has been the platform and catalyst for creating conditions for success in Halifax. M&S decided to keep their store in the town while they were closing elsewhere and house prices have risen above the national average. It’s very much a town on the up.”