Step forward for enterprise scheme

A LEADING businessman last night pledged to press ahead with plans to establish a body to promote private sector growth across Yorkshire.

Barry Dodd said he was heartened by the success of a private sector-led enterprise partnership, which works with the two local enterprise partnerships in the north east.

Mr Dodd, chief executive of Wetherby-based manufacturing company GSM, believes a new community interest company should step into the void which will be left by the abolition of the regional development agency, Yorkshire Forward.

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The new company, the Yorkshire Enterprise Partnership (YEP), which was first proposed in October last year, aims to work with the local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) on bids for public funding for projects. YEP wants to take responsibility for projects involving innovation, inward investment, access to finance and economic intelligence.

The company's backers believe these functions are best performed at a pan-Yorkshire level. Mr Dodd praised the North East enterprise partnership, adding: "It's virtually the same as we plan to do in Yorkshire."

Mr Dodd said he planned to hold talks later this week with local authority leaders to increase support for the YEP.

He said: "It means we will not lose the Yorkshire brand."

A spokeswoman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said she welcomed the establishment of the North East Enterprise Partnership.

However, she stressed that it had been set up independently, and there was no policy of rolling out similar schemes across the country.