Member Article

New chair to lead Atlantic Gateway investment partnership

Kate Willard, Corporate Affairs Director and Company Secretary with Stobart Group and Board member of the Liverpool and City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), will become the new Chair of Atlantic Gateway this month replacing Geoff Muirhead, former Chief Executive of the Manchester Airport Group.

Atlantic Gateway is a private sector led partnership which supports investment into a number of key priorities across the North West including major infrastructure schemes and science developments. It works closely with the area’s LEPs on critical issues and opportunities to provide a common perspective and united voice.

Geoff Muirhead who has led Atlantic Gateway for the last three years said: “Kate will take over at Atlantic Gateway following a successful year which has seen the confirmation of a number of high profile investments including a recent announcement by the Chancellor of major investment in science and transport as part of his drive to build a Northern Powerhouse.

“Kate will play a leading role in ensuring that the Atlantic Gateway’s growth strategy is at the heart of developments to create a viable alternative to the South including supporting the “One North” proposal which is being led by the five core cities of Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle and Sheffield to create a better connected and more powerful north.”

Kate said; “I am delighted to accept this strategically important role at such as a turning point for the North West. There is renewed confidence about the future with a wave of major investment opportunities throughout the Atlantic Gateway area which will support growth and create jobs throughout the North West.

“I am looking forward to working with the LEP Chairs and other partners as we define our shared priorities and set out an ambitious and practical framework for growth”.

Robert Hough, Chair of the Liverpool City Region LEP said: “Kate will be a great ambassador for the north west, championing investment and economic growth.

“Kate brings considerable experience in infrastructure and logistics, including her role on the LEP Superport Committee, which will enable the North West to maximise the opportunities on the back of investment into the area’s international gateways including the Port of Liverpool and Manchester Airport”.

Atlantic Gateway is a proposition to create the critical mass to achieve a new level of sustainable economic growth not previously achieved in the UK outside of London. Led by a private sector board, its aim is to support LEPs, the public sector and the private sector to attract investment and accelerate growth as a transformational contribution to rebalancing the UK economy.

Focusing on the cities of Liverpool and Manchester and the surrounding three LEP areas of the Liverpool City Region, Greater Manchester and Cheshire and Warrington, Atlantic Gateway provides a platform for collaboration on the issues and opportunities that will make the biggest difference to the long term growth of the North West.

The potential of Atlantic Gateway to deliver sustainable economic growth for the North West and UK plc is widely recognised. Lord Heseltine and Terry Leahy in Rebalancing Britain: Policy or Slogan said:

“If anywhere in Britain can develop the critical mass and momentum to become an alternative growth pole to London, it is Atlantic Gateway”.

Atlantic Gateway is recognisable on an international stage and is widely accepted by Government as being a transforming investment opportunity for the North West. George Osborne reflected this in his Northern Powerhouse speech when he said that:

“I want to see the Atlantic Gateway go from being a brilliant concept to a transforming reality”.

Since its inception, Atlantic Gateway has quickly established itself as a high profile partnership and has been successful in attracting private and public sector funding which will help to create thousands of jobs and improve the competitiveness of businesses in the North West.

By 2030, Atlantic Gateway has the potential to support more than 140,000 jobs and attract more than £15 billion of investment. The impact will be significant. It will play a lead role in rebalancing the economy; creating jobs and improving long term prosperity for generations to come.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .