Denise Stuart, of York Enterprise, is tasked with luring new businesses to York

The waters began to eddy when york-england.com, the inward investment organisation of which she had been chief executive, became one of the first casualties of Government cuts.

The impending demise of Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency which helped to fund it, was one of the reasons for its redefinition from a region-wide organisation to attract jobs to and keep jobs in the whole of North Yorkshire to one which concentrated on Greater York.

It was clear not just to the city’s business community but also City of York Council that Denise’s work was too valuable to lose.

After all, over 13 years york-england.com and its predecessor were responsible for more than 200 companies setting up bases in York, generating more than 4,600 jobs.

And at a time when York is bound to be hit by its share of both public and private-sector unemployment, it was unthinkable to lose an organisation which lured so many new jobs into the city and ensured that existing firms stayed there.

It was also crucial that the skills of a two-university city would not be drained away to other areas where the pitch was seemingly more alluring.

Another imperative: In the new order, Denise should figure in a senior role because she is known by hundreds of businesses in the city as “the fixer” who makes things happen.

The new team is called York Enterprise and Denise is its business development manager.

It is part of the City of York Council's city strategy directorate, headed up by Bill Woolley.

Had Denise not been part of it, there was a clear danger that the city’s business community might have regarded York Enterprise as a local authority creature and shy away from it.

But her team is also part of the York Economic Partnership, the conduit through which businesses can influence council policy.

This should silence those critics who argued that the team would be too much at “arms length” from the needs of the business community.

So Denise is now more than a bridge, even though the troubled waters have boiled into a cauldron now that Chancellor George Osborne has wielded his axe. She is the lynchpin between the past and the future.

She says: “It’s a job made easier now that the City Council has proved itself to be a lot more business friendly.”

On planning, for instance, City of York Council is changing from traditional development control, the regulatory approach so loathed by some developers, to a new development management service.

Now officials aim to give what is formally described as “a holistic, customer-focused approach to dealing with development proposals from first inquiry to development completion”.

To that end, providing high-quality pre-application advice and information is seen as essential, for residents, businesses, prospective developers and investors.

And it works, says Denise.

“For example, of course it was bad news when HSBC pulled out of its plan to build a data centre at Monks Cross, but let’s not forget the speed with which the council had collaborated with the business community to get planning consent for that site.

“It was the forerunner of other productive collaborations such as at the site in Hull Road, York, where the council worked with applicant and architect to address concerns about a proposal for new student housing there.

“Officers were able to suggest an alternative approach to both layout and design which the developer was pleased to take on board. The revised scheme was quickly approved.”

Her immediate task in her new role is to work with companies already in York to discover their priorities and help them to reach their potential in order to retain and generate more jobs, But what now of the former york-england.com’s determination to attract civil service departments from London to relatively less expensive York?

Has York Enterprise’s plans changed much since the public sector has taken such a large brunt of the coalition Government's cuts?

No, says Denise cautiously. “Of course we have to wait for the dust to settle, and review our strategy accordingly, but presumably the pressure for London civil service functions to move to the provinces in order to save money is continuing and we have to be ready for it.

“Meanwhile we will redouble our efforts to attract the knowledge-based sector to our citys which is one of just six Science Cities in the UK.”

One of the problems that Denise has had to grapple with over the past few years was the relative paucity of city-centre office space.

She said: “It is even more important now that we all work together to ensure that York Central finally happens.”

The fact that the owners of York Central, which straddles the railway line near York station, mothballed the £1 billion project for offices, factories and housing – and potentially thousands of jobs – does not daunt her.

One of the pluses which emerged from the Comprehensive Spending Review was TIF – or Tax Increment Funding.

This gives clearance to local authorities to lend against the cost of huge, worthy projects using the prospective income stream that results as collateral. Denise says: “My fear is that a high interest rate imposed on the loan might be too daunting for developers, but hopefully that is a problem that will be ironed out.”

But she stresses that it is important that York can meanwhile display a good choice for business locations – and the city does have a good offering.

“To name a few, we have the Science Park, Northminster Business Park, Monks Cross in Huntington, the Station Business Park, Holgate, Elvington Industrial estate and the forgotten gem of Clifton Business Park in Shipton Road.

“On top of this we can boast that York is in the top ten urban areas in the country when it comes to offering the fastest broadband speed.

“But we have to work harder to attract investment. Not only are we competing with the pressures of the harsh financial climate but also with the rest of the UK and Europe.

“York has to position itself as a city that is not only a part of history, but making history.

“How many people out there know us as a university city, or a science city or, for that matter a city absolutely suited to business?

“That’s my job – to trumpet the good message, and to that end the ambassadors I nominated three years ago to proselytise York will continue.

“But the truth is that we are all ambassadors. Everyone who lives, works and does business here has a role to play.”