Member Article

Leeds and Partners to be brought under LEP wing in £1 million cost-cutting drive

Leeds and Partners, the marketing and inward investment body, is set to be transferred to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, overseen by the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP), after a review found it could save £1 million.

Members of Leeds City Council’s executive board are being asked to approve the review’s recommendations when they meet next week.

If approved, the move would mean a closer integration of inward investment and a significant saving of approximately £950k from the current corporate function of Leeds and Partners which would no longer be needed under the new arrangements.

Leeds and Partners, which succeeded Marketing Leeds, receives nearly £2 million a year from Leeds City Council.

Other recommendations include:

• appointing a director of inward investment;
• setting up a ‘Leeds City Region Ambassadors’ scheme to engage senior business leaders and others in promoting inward investment; and
• transferring the current visitor economy functions of Leeds and Partners to Leeds City Council.
• commissioning Welcome to Yorkshire to deliver a city region approach to the visitor economy.

Leader of Leeds City Council and chair of the inward investment review group Councillor Keith Wakefield said: “While it is clear that Leeds and Partners put our inward investment activity on a more robust footing we cannot rest on our laurels and need to continue to compete more effectively as a city region both nationally and globally.

“In the current climate, this move is the right step to make sure that as a region we harness all of the resources available to us and use them to the best possible effect.”

Andy Clarke, chair of Leeds and Partners, said: “The board and chief executive of Leeds and Partners whole heartedly support this move to a regional agenda, which will realise the significant opportunities that closer alignment will bring for the Leeds City Region economy.

“In the last three years Leeds and Partners has transformed the way the city and wider region attract inward investment.

“It is testament to the achievements and talent of the team that the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and LEP recognise the successes of Leeds and Partners and intend to build on this approach as part of the new governance structure. I look forward to continuing to play an active role in supporting this agenda moving forward.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .