Region strikes deal with government

8:12am Wednesday 19th September 2012 in News

LEEDS City Region, which comprises West Yorkshire and York has signed a deal with the Government to localise powers and funding to boost jobs and growth.

Ministers and senior representatives from the region signed the City Deal at a formal ceremony, agreeing to devolve powers over skills and unemployment, transport, investment, trade and inward investment, business-friendly planning and low carbon.

Leeds City Region said it hoped the City Deal would enable it to create more than 25,000 new jobs in the medium term, and up to 15,000 new apprenticeship places in the next four years.

Comments(2)

Fat Harry says...
3:22pm Wed 19 Sep 12

Not sure what to think of this.

I'm broadly in favour of devolution, but tend to think it should be to recognisable entities (eg Yorkshire) not to made-up things such as Leeds City Region, which makes me fear that York (along with all the other smaller towns & cities) is about to be downgraded to a suburb of Leeds.

I'd be against that for two reasons:

1) the prestige of our ancient city would be greatly diminished
2) I seriously doubt that this unelected greater Leeds council would divert much serious cash towards job creation in this northern outpost

On the other hand, would benefits like a prpoerly integrated transport network make the sacrifices worthwhile?

dunno to be honest.

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Magicman! says...
11:54pm Thu 20 Sep 12

I share similar doubts... yes, money will come to this part of the country - but I bet my bottom dollar that the lions share goes to Leeds and Bradford, with York probably getting something like £5,000 to create some half-baked employability scheme that is essentially unpaid labour in disguise.

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