THE first major step on the road to scrapping regional development agencies One North East and Yorkshire Forward took place yesterday as the Government invited business leaders to discussions on Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs).
Minister for regional and local economic development, Mark Prisk, and Minister for decentralisation, Greg Clark, invited business groups, local authorities and think tanks to London to listen to their views on the creation of LEPs.
The existing regional development agencies will be replaced by LEPs from 2012.
They will take over functions including planning and housing, local transport and infrastructure, employment and enterprise, and supporting the transition to a low carbon economy.
Attendees included representatives from the Confederation of British Industry, Federation of Small Businesses, British Chambers of Commerce, Engineering Employers Federation, Institute of Directors, local authority councillors and chief executives and the Local Government Association.
Among those attending from the North-East and North Yorkshire were Councillor Paul Watson, chairman of the Association of North- East Councils, John Cuthbert, chairman of the Northern Business Forum, and Kersten England, chief executive of York Council.
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