Yorkshire business calls for end to devolution deadlock
The letter, signed by more than 60 people tells the Chancellor the area is “central” to his plan to turn the North of England into an economic “powerhouse”.
It is the latest intervention in the ongoing debate over how West, North and East Yorkshire should respond to Mr Osborne’s offer to give areas more control over their own economic affairs in return for creating new elected mayors.
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Hide AdSouth Yorkshire and other parts of the North have agreed deals which will see mayors elected next year.
But competing proposals have been presented to Ministers covering West, North and East Yorkshire.
West Yorkshire councils have been pressing for a Leeds City Region deal covering themselves and some neighbouring authorities.
But Conservative MPs in West Yorkshire along with North Yorkshire County Council and East Riding Council have been calling for a Greater Yorkshire deal covering the whole of West, North and East Yorkshire.
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Hide AdThe letter supporting the Leeds City Region concept includes signatures from Asda chief executive Andy Clarke, Leeds-Bradford Airport chief executive John Parkin, the vice-chancellors of three West Yorkshire universities and senior figures from three chambers of commerce.
It says: “As the UK’s largest functional economic area outside London and the South East, the Leeds City Region is clearly central to your vision of an economically successful and globally competitive Northern Powerhouse being fulfilled.
“As northern business and education leaders, we have major concerns about the continued absence of a meaningful devolution deal for such a significant economic area with a core city at its heart.
“We believe that further delays in securing such a deal would be to the detriment of jobs, growth and business investment, not just in our region but across the North and beyond.”
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Hide AdThe letter raises the prospect of a Leeds City Region deal being a first step to an agreement covering more of Yorkshire.
It says: “From the evidence we have seen, the Leeds City Region deal seems to be the only option currently on the table that could be implemented in time for a democratically elected mayor to be in place by May 2017 – the same timescale to which Manchester, Sheffield and the other major city regions of the North are working.
“A City Region deal now would be an important step towards more comprehensive devolution in Yorkshire, enabling 75 per cent of the regional economy currently without devolution to have access to the benefits it presents quickly, with those benefits extending to the whole of the region as other proposals advance further.”
Last week, Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership chairman Roger Marsh warned the area was in danger of missing the “economic opportunity of a lifetime”.
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Hide AdBradford Council leader David Green also expressed his frustration, claiming the process had been “hampered by Tory MPs, some of whom don’t want any devolution”.
But Conservative MPs hit back, criticising the council leaders approach to the talks and accusing them of staging a “power grab”.
The letter in full reads:
Dear Chancellor of the Exchequer,
With your 2016 Budget fast approaching we would like to urge the government to clearly signal an intent to swiftly complete a key missing piece in its Northern Powerhouse project by ensuring your forthcoming Budget speech includes real signs of progress towards a devolution deal for the Leeds City Region.
As the UK’s largest functional economic area outside London and the South East, the Leeds City Region is clearly central to your vision of an economically successful and globally competitive Northern Powerhouse being fulfilled.
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Hide AdAs northern business and education leaders, we have major concerns about the continued absence of a meaningful devolution deal for such a significant economic area with a core city at its heart. We believe that further delays in securing such a deal would be to the detriment of jobs, growth and business investment, not just in our region but across the North and beyond.
We recognise that other proposals have been submitted covering different geographic areas within the wider Yorkshire and Humber area. As businesspeople, we do not wish to take sides on political matters: we believe firmly that economic outcomes and pragmatism should be the prevailing factors in determining how the region can share in the exciting opportunities of devolution soon.
From the evidence we have seen, the Leeds City Region deal seems to be the only option currently on the table that could be implemented in time for a democratically elected mayor to be in place by May 2017 – the same timescale to which Manchester, Sheffield and the other major city regions of the North are working.
A City Region deal now would be an important step towards more comprehensive devolution in Yorkshire, enabling 75% of the regional economy currently without devolution to have access to the benefits it presents quickly, with those benefits extending to the whole of the region as other proposals advance further.
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Hide AdBusinesses are blind to administrative boundaries: what matters to us is the continued development of our region’s economy. On that basis, we ask that the Government recognise the strength of support among local businesses for deals that would bring a large part of our region in line with the other first wave devolution deals. It seems that the only pragmatic solution that could be implemented within a reasonable timescale is, in our view, a deal for the Leeds City Region, followed by others as soon as practicably possible.
If more can be achieved, so much the better – but it does not make sense to delay progress in such a large part of the region.
It would be encouraging if the Budget contained some signals that a devolution deal for Leeds City Region could be progressed soon. This is in the best interests of the region, of your Northern Powerhouse vision, and of the country.
Roger Marsh OBE, Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership
Gerald Jennings, Leeds Chamber of Commerce
Andy Clarke, ASDA
Martin Hathaway, Mid Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce
Andy Tuscher & June Smith, EEF
Andy Caton, Bradford Chamber of Commerce
Rashik Parmar,IBM
John Parkin, Leeds Bradford Airport
Paul Hamer,WYG plc
Adam Beaumont, aql
Edward Ziff, Town Centre Securities
Sir Alan Langlands, University of Leeds
Prof Peter Slee, Leeds Beckett University
Bob Cryan CBE, University of Huddersfield
John Heaps, Yorkshire Building Society
Amanda Beresford & Andrew Brockett, Shulmans LLP
Eric Hawthorn, Radio Design
Ian Gilbert and Philip Mudd, Walker Morris
Jon Kenny, CEG
Stuart Flack, Electronics Yorkshire
Stuart Clarke, Media Yorkshire
Andy Wood, Grant Thornton UK LLP
Ian Morrison, PwC
John Alderton, Squire Patton Boggs (UK) LLP
Mark Ridgway OBE DL, Joseph Rhodes Ltd
Mike Briffett, Turner & Townsend
Paul Connell, ODI Leeds
Paula Dillon, Bond Dickinson
Chris Schofield, Schofield Sweeney LLP
Nick Jaspan, Prolific North
Alex Craven, Bloom Agency
Wim Batist, BCA Group
William Ballman, Gateley Plc
Sophie Jewett, York Cocoa House
Simon Pringle, Project Rome Ltd
Robert McClements, Cdi Yorkshire
Nick Ramshaw, Thompson Brand Partners
John Bradley, Crompton Mouldings
Andy Welsh, Bradford College
Colin Booth, Leeds City College
Ian Billyard, Leeds College of Building
Nav Chohan, Shipley College
Peter McCann, Kirklees College
John Rees, Calderdale College
Richard Danon, Dantex
Robin Wright, Wyedean
Steven C.Bonfield, Chadwick Lawrence
Bill Lawrence, Reel Solutions (Film) LLP
Mark Prentice, Arkoni
Mark Barrow, Arcadis
Martin Doxey, Private Investor
Phil Ball, Curtis Furniture
Amanda Lennon
Beverley Parrish
Professor Mike Campbell
Andrew Wright, Reliance Precision Ltd
Peter Duffy, Peter Duffy Ltd
Charles Dunn, D & M Heritage Ltd and Dunn and Mills Limited
Professor David Weir, Fourth Paradigm Consulting
Gurdev Singh, North Wolds Printers Ltd
John Roberts, Roberts Mart & Co Ltd
Judith Charlesworth, Charlesworth Publishing Services Ltd
Max Crosland, M2 Management Services Limited
Matthew Morton, Morton Legal
Gareth Davies, Kirklees Stadium Development Ltd