North-South divide emerges on Humber LEPs

THE north bank of the Humber is to split from the south as new local enterprise partnerships are created to replace regional development agency Yorkshire Forward.

Council leaders in Hull and East Riding are planning to join together to form an LEP of their own without the involvement of counterparts in North and North-East Lincolnshire.

The private sector now has the opportunity to comment on the plans before they are formally submitted to the Government and one business organisation has already expressed concern at the idea.

Ministers have announced plans to abolish regional development agencies and asked local authorities to work with business to create new local partnerships that will take on some of their functions.

Alan Menzies, director of planning and economic regeneration at East Riding Council, said: “I think the view we have got, which is similar to Hull, is that the preferred option for us and Hull is to join and prepare a proposal that we have a north bank Hull and East Riding LEP.”

Mr Menzies said it was difficult to establish the economic relationship between the north and south banks in terms of business and employment flows to the same extent as the strong linkages between Hull and East Riding.

However, the plans would still see north and south co-operating in key policy areas such as ports and transport.

Mr Menzies said there would now be events over the next 10 days, in association with the Institute of Directors, to guage the opinion of the private sector.

Ian Kelly, chief executive of the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce, said: “The overwhelming view of all the major businesses in the Humber, and indeed of our Members of Parliament as well, favoured keeping the Humber as a single economic unit.  In this respect we think Hull and East Riding Councils have got this decision wrong.

“That said, unless Government adds a different perspective, we will continue to work closely with all four local authorities as we always have done, in whatever configuration, for the benefit of local business.”