Sheffield City Region 2012: Mothersole calls for ‘big ideas’
SHEFFIELD City Council chief executive John Mothersole has called for business and the public sector to come up with big ideas to support economic growth that can win Government support.
Mr Mothersole insisted the city region should not rest on its laurels after securing a ‘city deal’ that saw the area take control over funding and key powers in areas such as skills and transport from Whitehall earlier this year.
He argued the city region should take advantage of the Coalition’s new openess to ideas as it looks to kickstart the economy.
Mr Mothersole said: “The big challenge we have is to identify those proposals that are of the right type and more importantly the right scale to take back to government.
“We have a government that is keen for growth and that is an opportunity because whereas previously there might have been a blueprint set nationally to follow and the first test would be whether we fit the blueprint, now the first test is whether it is a believable idea and the rules can be broken in pursuit of a believable idea.”
The interview with Mr Mothersole can be read in full in a new supplement – Sheffield City Region 2012, Strong Foundations For Growth – published today by TheBusinessDesk.com in partnership with Barclays and Sheffield Hallam University.
The 19-page supplement also considers the sectors forecast to grow in the Sheffield City Region and looks at the development of the Local Enterprise Partnership.
