Businesses call for local partnerships

HUMBER businesses have called on their local authorities to show leadership and build new partnerships with each other after the announcement that regional development agency Yorkshire Forward will be abolished.

By The Newsroom

Published 2nd Jul 2010, 11:01 BST

Updated 2nd Jul 2010, 11:01 BST

The Government is calling on companies and local councils to form Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) as a replacement for the agencies, and the Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce Council said a single organisation was needed for the region.

Business leaders fear competing LEPs would make it harder for the area to attract major investment, such as in ports and renewable energy, when other major cities have already decided to cooperate with their wider economic areas.

Chamber President Russ Garbutt has written to all four Humber local authorities.

Chief Executive Ian Kelly, said: "A pan-Humber LEP is the only viable solution for this area. "We are stronger when we work together. Dividing the Humber up would make it harder for us to compete with Leeds, Sheffield and the North East – all of which are ahead of us on deciding how they will work together."