Bernard Ginns: Big three names in the frame to be next LEP chairman

AN important week ahead for the local enterprise partnership covering the largest city region outside of London.

A panel of politicians will decide who becomes the new chairman of the public-private group set up to drive economic growth.

Interviews are taking place this week and three names are being linked with the role at the head of the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP).

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They are Terry Hodgkinson CBE, the former chairman of Yorkshire Forward, Roger Marsh, the office senior partner at PwC in Leeds, and Sir Rodney Walker, the sports administrator and Wakefield businessman.

Mr Hodgkinson led the now-defunct regional development agency for seven years and was responsible for an annual budget of £360m.

He co-founded Lemmeleg Building and Contracting in 1979 and built it into a £35m business with 300 staff before selling out to Rok Property Solutions in 2005.

He was awarded a CBE for services to business and regeneration in 2010.

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Mr Hodgkinson’s website proclaims: “Terry is passionate about great design, architecture, heritage and place making.

“He is an advocate of continuous learning and training, and he considers inspirational leadership to be a quality that influences growth and development of people in all aspects of their lives.”

Last week, it emerged that two companies linked to him have gone into administration.

Mr Hodgkinson is a director of Magna Holdings and Magna (Yorkshire) Investments, which operate three multi-let offices in Yorkshire.

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On March 5, PwC in Leeds announced that it been appointed as joint administrators of both companies.

Moving on, Roger Marsh of PwC has been linked with the chairmanship of the LEP. He is an insolvency practitioner with more than three decades’ experience in business recovery.

In 2007, he was seconded to the Cabinet Office as director general of strategic finance and operations and worked at the heart of the Government machine with Lord Gus O’Donnell, then the most powerful civil servant in the land.

He spent two-and-a-half years on the secondment before returning to Leeds in 2010.

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Mr Marsh, when he addressed a full meeting of Leeds City Council last month, said: “As part of rebalancing the whole economy, I have long argued that the creation of centres of economic excellence across the country, based on the historical successes of different regions, is the way forward for UK plc.

“For Leeds, and the wider city region, building on our successes in meditech, digital, financial and professional services will be amongst those that are key to future prosperity.”

Sir Rodney Walker is a former shotput champion who rose from humble origins in Wakefield to become one of the best-known names in Yorkshire business and British sport administration.

He was knighted in 1996 for services to sport. Chairmanships include Wakefield Trinity Rugby League FC, GB Sports Council, Sport England, UK Sport, Manchester Commonwealth Games, Wembley National Stadium, Leicester City plc, Rugby Football League, Brands Hatch Leisure plc, Donington Park Estates and the Leeds-based support services company Spice.

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He stood down as chairman of Goals Soccer Centres Plc, the five-a-side football centre operator, earlier this year after more than a decade.

Sir Rodney, who was named Yorkshireman of the Year in 2008, was awarded the Freedom of the City of Wakefield last September for his services to sport, business and charity.

Speaking at the ceremony, council leader Peter Box said: “Sir Rodney has played a huge role in many aspects of life in the district – in rugby league, in business, in the arts and through raising millions of pounds for charity and good causes.”

Coun Box also happens to be chairman of the LEP leaders board – the group of elected leaders of the 11 local authorities in the Leeds City Region, including Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Craven, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds, Selby, Wakefield and York.

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Whoever is appointed will have an influential role at the head of an economic area with 3m people and 100,000 businesses.

Neil McLean, the outgoing chairman, has done much to bring together the public and private sectors to work together and to put the LEP on the map after the coalition Government’s destruction of Yorkshire Forward.

He believes that the role will become more important as the Government devolves more powers to the regions.

And as the LEP gains more funding powers, he is hopeful that businesses across the region will become more engaged.

Slowly, progress is being made.

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