Leeds City Region Partnership to pool ideas for a brighter future for the wider Yorkshire region (From York Press)

Leeds City Region Partnership to pool ideas for a brighter future for the wider Yorkshire region

8:46am Friday 15th January 2010 in

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SOME of the most powerful politicians, business people and university leaders in the region will converge on York on Monday to plot a brighter future for the wider Yorkshire region.

Under the banner of the newly-formed Leeds City Region Partnership they will pool ideas at York’s Hilton Hotel to develop an “Innovation Capital Prospectus Plan (ICPIP)” – a road map to enable businesses to flourish through forward thinking and to develop the Leeds City Region as a globally-recognised innovation capital.

The partnership, one of only two pilot city regions across the country, brings together 11 local authorities in North and West Yorkshire, including the City of York Council, Selby and Harrogate district Councils and North Yorkshire County Council as well as Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Craven, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield.

Their joint aim: To find a common plan for improvements in transport, skills, housing, planning and innovation.

Monday’s meeting in York, which starts at 1pm, will be the second of three consultation forums in the region designed to get movers and shakers to have their say.

At the gathering will be representatives from the local authorities, chambers of commerce, the regional development agency Yorkshire Forward, delegates from York, Leeds and Bradford universities and regional pressure groups like the Federation of Small Business.

Others, like John Yeomans, chairman of Visit York, will be keeping an eye on the outcome. He said: “Tourism is by its very nature innovative and Visit York is continually looking at new ways to ensure York doesn’t stand still.

“We will be following the work of the partnership with great interest and offering it our fullest support.”

Already one consultation forum has been held in Leeds; and another is planned at the Cedar Court Hotel, Wakefield, on January 26.

But those unable to attend can still contribute to the ICPIP online by visiting leedscityregion.gov.uk