Agenda item

Members were provided with a report and presentation outlining the work to date to develop an Economic Plan for the region.

Questions and discussion centred around:

• Other overlapping plans / strategies: There is a concern that, with too many plans and strategies, the CA may struggle to monitor attainment of them effectively, and that many of them may overlap. The current plan is to review all existing plans and strategies as part of a new approach wherein a new encompassing ‘West Yorkshire Plan’ acts as an apex of a suite of strategies which all feed into its overall goals – the Economic Plan will sit below that. The thing that differs this particular plan from other economic strategies is that the Economic Plan is more long-term looking, based on a series of projections ranging from best case to worst case scenarios, and focuses on the entire economy divided into ‘enabling’, ‘strategic’ and ‘vital’ sectors, rather than just on ‘high growth’ or high-profile sectors common in shorter term plans. Members requested to see the plan again once it was developed, alongside the review of other relevant plans.

• Alignment between councils and districts: It is important that the Economic Plan takes into account existing economic plans in the constituent councils and that these are all aligned. A task and finish group of each of the councils has been established, and close work is being undertaken by relevant policy leads and directors in each council and the CA. The final Plan will also be reviewed, and approved by, the LEP Board and the CA’s Business Committee which include senior representation from each council, alongside private sector business representatives to represent various areas and sectors. The council areas also have very differently sized economies, with Leeds understood to be £30bn in GDP and Bradford next at £11bn. A lot more work is needed to ensure a degree of ‘levelling up’ within the region.

• Challenge of carbon emissions and inclusivity: The Plan includes a goal for the economy to become carbon neutral by 2038 and ensure benefits are felt by all in an inclusive way, including by creating ‘good jobs’ not just jobs. Some feel this might present a conflict with economic growth in general, particularly in certain sectors such as manufacturing, which emit more carbon in general – especially without more investment and support to help those businesses emit less carbon. A review of the entire economy is underway to assess where such support might be necessary to promote less carbon emmissions and better paying jobs, debates about a ‘circular’ and sustainable economy are ongoing, and the biggest employers in the region are the councils and the NHS.

• Necessity of financial and infrastructure investment: It would be a challenge to achieve the most positive projections of economic growth without enough investment in key infrastructure, such as transport, and in skills and education, which wouldn’t be within the CA’s current purview, instead relying on funding from the central government. This is a common challenge across the entire North, not just in West Yorkshire (WY). In WY, the levels of national investment and subsidies in the region is understood to differ by area, with Leeds understood to be subsidised at ten times the rate that the next area Bradford is, according to ONS data seen by Members. Officers will consider the possibility of further subsidies and will pursue that lead.