‘No prospect’ for recovery for Yorkshire towns and cities

FIVE places in Yorkshire have been named in a list of locations which have suffered badly in the recession and face bleak chances of recovery.

Barnsley, Doncaster, Grimsby, Hull and Wakefield have been named in the list of 10 cities and towns with the least potential for growth in the country.

The report, which is to be launched at a conference hosted by the Work Foundation research agency, says that communities in Yorkshire did not take advantage of the economy when it was prospering and were then hit hard by the credit crunch.

The five locations in the region have been named partly because of their reliance on the public sector. With heavy cuts in the public sector expected imminently, the report claims the private sector will struggle to fill the gap.

Responsding to the report, Coun Bill Newman, Barnsley Council’s cabinet spokesman for development, said: “We are watching the situation very closely because of the cuts the new government is imposing and we will do everything in our power to protect jobs and services in Barnsley.

“The public sector and the private sector are intrinsically linked – we do not view them as separate economies.”

Barnsley Council said that through Barnsley Development Agency’s (BDA) investment and development support, 1,075 jobs had been created in local businesses since the beginning of the year.