What a Northern Powerhouse in Yorkshire means to: Brent Woods, CEO of The Media Centre

As Bdaily’s Northern Powerhouse series continues to give the business people of Yorkshire the opportunity to voice their opinions on the the government’s Northern Powerhouse initiative, we speak with Brent Woods - CEO of Huddersfield’s The Media Centre.

The Media Centre is a not-for-profit organisation committed to business growth, employment opportunities and talent development within Huddersfield’s creative and digital industries.

What do you think the Northern Powerhouse will do for Yorkshire?

So far, the Northern Powerhouse still only feels like a statement of intent. But there’s definitely a lot of potential to bring it to life, including further devolution deals and better links – not only between cities and towns, but within them as well. However it mustn’t only be about transport – it is also important to facilitate collaboration between businesses within the cities and towns of the Northern Powerhouse.

I hope this will encourage Yorkshire to be viewed as a cohesive region rather than a collection of isolated cities and towns. It is really important to show the rest of the UK that Yorkshire has a strong economy and is a great place to work.

What will the Northern Powerhouse do for The Media Centre?

At The Media Centre, we already encourage our clients to create connections with other companies based across the north in order to maximise growth and productivity potential. This, plus the infrastructure and networks we have in place, mean that we’re ready to accommodate the opportunities that the Northern Powerhouse might bring.

Huddersfield is geographically at the centre of the Northern Powerhouse, which means it can naturally acts as a link between Manchester, Leeds and Sheffield. There is more scope for smaller cities and towns to step up and work closer with these core cities and, at The Media Centre, we’re ready to be a bridge for businesses that want to expand and collaborate within the wider region.

Has the government done enough to convince you of its commitment to Osborne’s vision?

In short, no, I don’t think that the vision has been sold very well and the name ‘Northern Powerhouse’ hasn’t been helpful. But it’s all about perception – we don’t see enough of what’s happening behind the scenes in Yorkshire. Manchester, for example, has really embraced the notion of the Northern Powerhouse, so the government has supported many initiatives that are based there.

But more needs to be done to inspire people and businesses to see how they can benefit from a stronger Northern Powerhouse in our region. Of course, the government can facilitate schemes through funding, but we need to see more about it in the media for it to be truly realised – and that’s the responsibility of the government.

Connectivity has been a major driving force behind the Northern Powerhouse. Do you believe that spending billions of infrastructure will improve the economic climate in the North?

Yes – better infrastructure is important, but it’s about making the right infrastructure choices and at the right time. Innovation is happening so quickly that plans often aren’t future proofed. By the time HS2 is completed, for example, there may be more intelligent technology to take its place. We’ll probably already have driverless cars on our roads by then!

Personally, I don’t think it’s important to shave 15 minutes off a journey to London. In my opinion, links in and between local towns, and improvements to existing stations such as Leeds, are much more vital.

What, if any, other sectors/industries should the government key in on to achieve a Northern Powerhouse?

The country’s creative and digital industries are performing better than most sectors and are a huge strength here in the north – they’re ‘home’ to some of our best talent. Many well-established brands are moving north because of this – Sky and the BBC are just two examples. Further investment in skills will further fuel this momentum and champion what the region has to offer.

Are there any other areas which you believe money should be spent on, ahead of transport?

In the same vein, investment in people is hugely important – it’s not just about higher education, but encouraging employers to invest time and money into training employees. The recent Centre for Cities report outlined that 29 per cent of working age residents in the Northern Powerhouse are high-skilled, whereas in London, that figure rises to 48 per cent.

The government should therefore support employers to facilitate further training and skills programmes. There’s a current trend for young people not being able to afford London – so we need to maximise every opportunity to keep the best talent.

As with the Sheffield, should the other regions in Yorkshire try to strike a devolution deal with the government?

As a Canadian, I’ve grown up in a country with a federal government – where local authorities are run by elected mayors with delegated authority – so I’m already used to the benefits of what a devolved system can bring.

However, the UK will not become a federation and so the national government mustn’t wash its hands of it responsibility to support local authorities that suffer from high levels of deprivation, and face challenges to generate sustainable income. Plus it’s important to ensure that the changes don’t increase damaging competition between cities – we must work together and combine efforts for a Northern Powerhouse to be realised.

Will the Northern Powerhouse be realised in Yorkshire?

Yes, but as a region we have to step up to the challenge and become committed before we start to see more change. SMEs, for example, are as much key players in the Northern Powerhouse as large businesses. But we need more leadership and vision to communicate to smaller businesses how a Northern Powerhouse would benefit them.

Organisations such as the LEP, or even the new devolved local authorities, should shout more about the opportunities that a stronger north could bring.

Thank you Brent.

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