Leeds City Region

City Region Leaders' Board
Leeds City Region comprises the 10 local authority districts of Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Craven, Harrogate, Kirklees, Leeds, Selby, Wakefield, and York, which reflects the true area of how the economy of Leeds and the other cities, towns and rural areas in the city region functions; for example, 95% of people who live in the city region also work in the city region.

A City Region Partnership comprising the councils of each of the 10 districts, plus North Yorkshire County Council (who has strategic responsibilities in three of the districts), was set up in 2004, and since then have been working together to look at how policy and delivery at this broad area level can be changed to improve economic growth and competitiveness.

On the 1st April 2007 the Partnership became the City Region Leaders' Board, which is constituted as a Joint Committee. The Board comprises of the Leaders of each of the eleven constituent authorities, and has the remit of 'Promoting the economic wellbeing of the Leeds City Region.' The Board will provide the political accountability and 'voice' of the City Region.

City Region Development Programme
The City Region Development Programme (CRDP) has been prepared and agreed by the 11 councils and is essentially the economic plan for the city region, focussed on areas where we can add value and deliver our Vision for the city region which is to 'Develop an internationally recognised city region; to raise our economic performance; to spread prosperity across the whole of our city region, and to promote a better quality of life for all of those who live and work here.'

This second iteration of the CRDP builds on a 2005 document, but provides a more robust and evidence-based programme for prioritising policy and programmes that will accelerate economic growth in the Leeds City Region.

The CRDP puts forward a growth scenario to achieve 4% per annum growth in GVA per capita across the city region over the coming ten years. This growth rate would be sufficient to close the productivity gap with the England average over the same time period and contribute to the Northern Way's aim to close the £30 billion gap in the North. This would create around 150,000 net new jobs and result in a £21.5 billion increase in GVA across the city region over the ten year period.

The financial and business services sector is identified as the key industry that will drive the city region's economic growth and competitiveness over the next 10 years. Future economic growth will not be driven solely by the City of Leeds and therefore a key element of the CRDP is to ensure that the city region has a 21st Century transport infrastructure that supports stronger links around the city region, particularly between growth locations and to rural hinterlands.

Realising a stronger and more competitive economy that will benefit all areas within the city region will require co-ordinated and complementary action from all partners and stakeholders within the city region as well as the support of Government in helping address barriers to growth. Only then can the full economic potential of the Leeds City Region be realised and the benefits felt throughout.