LEP launches calls for evidence on Local Industrial Strategy

30 July 2019

As the biggest contributor to the Northern Powerhouse, Leeds City Region has an economy of £69.6 billion, 3.1 million people and 126,000 businesses. The LEP’s ambition is to develop a Local Industrial Strategy that will boost productivity across the City Region while supporting inclusive and clean growth.

Roger Marsh OBE, chair of the Leeds City Region LEP, said: “We’re committed to making our region the best place in the country to start, locate or grow a business. We have some brilliant, highly innovative businesses in our region, but there is no room for complacency.

"The ambition of our existing strategic economic plan was compelling enough to secure the largest growth deal of any local enterprise partnership area in the country five years ago. It's vital that our plans evolve and respond to the challenges we now face – such as Brexit, the UK's productivity crisis, and changes to the labour market which are limiting people's economic prospects.

"If we can bring our region's productivity in line with the national average, through business investment in skills, R&D and innovation, we can add £10 billion to our economy, which would mean more opportunities for businesses and more jobs for local people."

All local enterprise partnerships in England have been asked to produce a Local Industrial Strategy for their area, setting out how they will boost productivity.

In order to produce this strategy, the LEP has brought together evidence on the City Region’s economic performance. This evidence examines the City Region’s business environment, innovation culture, the make-up of skills across the workforce, and the state of the region’s infrastructure.

The LEP has developed an online survey, giving respondents the potential to directly influence the findings and priorities of the Local Industrial Strategy. The survey can be accessed here. The deadline to respond is 31 July 2019.

It encourages input from everyone with an interest in this topic and would particularly like to hear from academics, public sector bodies, business representative organisations, the community, voluntary and social enterprise sector, think tanks and education and training providers.

There will be an opportunity to give feedback on the draft Local Industrial Strategy in the autumn, with the final strategy expected to be submitted to Government by the end of the year.