For the Council to provide £2.25m over three years (2013 – 2016) to fund a new proactive inward investment service for Leeds City Region capable of delivering significant new business investment and employment growth. This will require the Council to provide ‘up front’ investment of £750K per year over three years to be repaid to the Council via future receipts from the Aire Valley Leeds Enterprise Zone. The new service is to be delivered by Leeds and Partners in close conjunction with LCR’s Local Authorities. This has previously been agreed by the LCR Local Enterprise Partnership (of which the Council Leader is a member) and by the Chief Executives of LCR Local Authorities. The decision to waive procurement rules and directly commission Leeds and Partners will be considered as a separate key decision by the Director of Strategy and Resources in September 2013. This will follow the outcome of a Voluntary Transparency Notice to be published on the European Union’s OJEU system in late August 2013.
Decision type: Key
Reason Key: Expenditure > £250,000;
Decision status: Recommendations Approved
Notice of proposed decision first published: 19/08/2013
Decision due: 9 Oct 2013 by Executive Board
Department: Resources
Contact: Henry Rigg, Programme Leader 07712215001 Email: Henry.Rigg@leeds.gov.uk.
Consultation process
There has been ongoing consultation with all Chief Executives in LCR for a number of months, who now support the decision to commission Leeds and Partners. The LCR Local Enterprise Partnership Board has also been consulted. Several council leaders sit on the board, including the Council’s Leader.
Other key partners across LCR have also been consulted e.g. University of Leeds, UK Trade and Investment, Leeds, York & NY Chamber of Commerce.
Consultees
Local Authorities across LCR (Leaders and Chief Executives), LCR Local Enterprise Partnership Board, University of Leeds, Chamber of Commerce, UKTI.
Portfolio Holder: Leader of Council