Business leaders call for clear LEP vision
THE new local enterprise partnership for the Leeds City Region must be tightly focused and business-led with a clear mandate and powers to make a difference to the region’s economic future.
That was the view from business leaders at a meeting organised by the Leeds, York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce and hosted by Yorkshire Bank.
The councils making up the Leeds City Region have already expressed an interest in forming a LEP, the new vehicle for promoting regional economic development put forward by Ministers in the wake of their decision to abolish regional development agencies.
Business leaders – including Leeds-Bradford Airport chief executive John Parkin, DLA Piper managing partner Neil McLean and Helmsley Group chairman John Reeves – and local authority representatives met to discuss the plans on Friday.
The consensus among the group, which included representatives of the legal, property, construction and transport sectors among others, was that the new body could not afford to be a reconstruction of Yorkshire Forward by a different name.
The scrapping of RDAs and the invitation to create new LEPs was seen as an opportunity to identify the area’s strengths and pursue an agenda for economic development shared by the public and private sector partners involved.
With new LEPs being established across the country it was thought vital that the one covering the Leeds City Region would need a distinctive agenda with the ideas put forward including green technology and the innovation of the area’s universities.
While competition was likely between different parts of the country, particularly where bids were funding were involved, the LEP model was viewed as flexible enough for partnerships to work together where they shared interests.
There was also agreement that a compelling case would have to be made if the Government was to relinquish key powers, such as over planning or transport, to local control and that those powers would need to be exercised in a way that meant decisions were reached quickly.
Administrative and governing structures were considered less important than the LEP’s strategy although those at the meeting were clear that the number of people it would employ directly should be very small. It was even suggested that the role of chair might be taken by someone willing to do it without pay.
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