"THE devolution genie is out of the bottle, but be careful what you wish for" was the warning to delegates at York Business Conference as the rebuilding of the northern economy was debated.

Standing as one of the headline events of York Business Week, the conference attracted around 200 people to City Screen Picturehouse this morning.

With a city-centre power cut causing an initial delay, the event got underway with a panel debate focussing on York's economic resilience and rebuilding the northern economy.

Speakers David Kerfoot, deputy chairman of York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership and Roger Marsh, chairman of Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, talked about devolved powers from central government, the need to ensure youngsters leave education with business skills, and calls for infrastructure investment, particularly in York's outer ring road.

Mr Kerfoot said: "World class innovation driven by business is what leads to jobs, growth and prosperity for our region.

"Skills are absolutely instrumental to grow York, businesses need to be able to recruit people with the right values and the right skills. "We want young people leaving school with a better understanding of business. I want to see more entrepreneurial skills taught in schools, and change the perception of apprenticeships.

"But it's the ring road that needs to be a number one priority. Businesses have told us for three years that the ring road is the one thing holding back development."

Mr Kerfoot called on businesses to "remorselessly and relentlessly" back a newly launched campaign by the York and North Partnership, petitioning government with support from the Federation of Small Businesses, Chamber of Commerce, Institute of Directors and York Professionals to dual the ring road.

Mr Marsh added: "If we are going to be a world leading nation we have got to have the infrastructure to match. It's also about interconnectivity. We have been lacking in investment infrastructure for about 30 years.

"The devolution genie is out of the bottle but we have to be careful what we wish for. Business don't want to see powers devolved but with another layer of politicians and red tape."

The main speaker for the event was from Marks & Spencer chief executive and chairman, and current chairman Designate of Ocado, Lord Stuart Rose.

In an interview led by Martin Vander Weyer, business editor for The Spectator, former Bootham School pupil Lord Rose said: "Do I think there is a future for retail - absolutely. Do I think there is a future for bricks and mortar retail - absolutely. I don't necessarily think a small retailer cannot survive. The trick is innovation.

"The worst example we have got of business today, and how not to run a business is Alan Sugar's The Apprentice. It sends out totally the wrong message, if you stab someone in the back, in the front and trample them on your way up, you are going to get on in life and business. That's not how it works.

"Successful businessmen are those who surround themselves with really good people, then use their ideas. The ones who aren't are the ones who surround themselves with yes people. Don't delude yourself into thinking you know everything."

The conference finished with the arrival of the Small Business Saturday Bus in York, to promote a nation wide initiative on December 6 to support small businesses.

York will be celebrating Small Business Saturday by hosting a market celebrating York’s independent businesses in Duncombe Place on December 6. It has been organised by City of York Council and the Proudly initiative, a collective of York’s independent business.

York Conference was organised by the York Business Engagement Group as part of York Business Week, which has seen a number of events held across the city, including an apprentice graduation ceremony at York Minster last night.

Business Week continues tomorrow with Chamber Pure Networking hosted by York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce as well as the 10,000 Small Businesses Sales Workshop hosted by Goldman Sachs, among over events.

On Thursday NYBEP and Nestle team up to host The Chocolate Box Challenge, with York Business Week drawing to a close on Thursday evening with the eagerly anticipated Press Business Awards.