Leeds City Region
Devo Deal?
A locally
administered business growth hub will be a cornerstone of a devolution deal for
the Leeds City Region as political leaders put the finishing touches to the
agreement with government, Insider can reveal.
The deal is believed to cover three main areas: housing, transport and
business, with the latter broken down into skills, jobs, business growth and
innovation.
Manchester secured a devolution deal in November and West Yorkshire was
widely considered to be next in line until the Sheffield City Region and the
South Yorkshire Combined Authority published details of its agreement in
mid-December.
While West Yorkshire's political leaders remain in negotiations with
Whitehall, Insider can now reveal that one of the main changes is
expected to be around the development of a locally administered business growth
hub to create a system which it is hoped will be easier to navigate, and costs
less to run.
The 'hub' will include devolved business support programmes and will
come online when national contracts expire. Insider also understands a
request for direct control of UK Trade & Investment export plans – very
similar to Manchester's – is in the offing.
Housing growth is also to be accelerated using existing local, regional
and national resources in a more coordinated and effective manner.
Among the aims is a shared decision making process with the Homes and
Communities Agency (HCA) on housing and regeneration investments, and bringing
together both city region and HCA funding.
Further fiscal devolution of national housing growth and regeneration
investments will be sought in the future to scale up the Leeds City Region
Investment Fund and maximise efficiencies.
West Yorkshire's leaders are also pursuing devolved power over the
current Innovate UK funding – a centrally controlled fund which had a £500m
pot. This comes from repeated concerns being raised by SMEs that national and
EU programmes are too bureaucratic.
It is also understood that West Yorkshire's deal will include strategies
to reduce the number of 18 to 24 year-olds out of work, as well as greater
power and control of further education budgets locally.
The intention is to improve skill levels and retain more graduates in
manufacturing and engineering, 'big data', software and digital and health and
medical technology.
The proposals for transport will, Insider understands, be
designed to create an integrated transport network across bus, rail and strategic
highways networks, modelled on London.
This includes the
power to use technology and open data; create integrated smart ticketing in
West Yorkshire; have joint, local investment strategies with Network Rail and
train operators and to secure devolved transport budgets with multi-year
settlements.
