North Yorkshire Council is on a mission to change perceptions of region at UKREiiF - Carl Les

For those in regional government tasked with driving growth and prosperity in their area, there is only one place to be this week. While the name may not trip off the tongue, the UK Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum - or UKREiiF for short - taking place in Leeds will see councils, devolved regions and mayoral authorities showing off their biggest and best assets with one thing in mind - inward investment.
By Carl Les
Published 16th May 2023, 06:00 BST

York and North Yorkshire is no exception and, for the next three days at the Royal Armouries, we will come together under the banner of Invest in York & North Yorkshire, to persuade major national and international organisations to do business in, or from, our region. So why should prestigious multinationals bring their operations here? For decades now we have, quite rightly, championed our historic towns and cities, National Parks and fabulous coastline. We’ve built a hugely prosperous visitor economy, supporting jobs and making York and North Yorkshire a globally respected tourism brand.

Tourism is such a valuable asset to our economy, but there is so much more that we have to offer to help grow a successful business and bring jobs into the region - although being a nice place to live certainly helps. So, what do businesses need and can we provide it? The answer is yes, and we must shout about it.

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Invest In York & North Yorkshire is a partnership comprising North Yorkshire Council, City of York Council and the York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (YNY LEP). Our stand at UKREiiF this week will boast a team who know how to drive investment and its mission is to change perceptions.

Carl Les is leader of North Yorkshire Council.Carl Les is leader of North Yorkshire Council.
Carl Les is leader of North Yorkshire Council.

Potential investors want to see innovative brownfield development, a talented workforce, multi-modal transport links, innovation in our emerging sectors, higher and further education facilities driving research and skills, and they want to know we’re committed to meeting our ambitions to be a carbon negative region by 2040.

We can tick all those boxes - the former Kellingley Colliery is undergoing a spectacular transformation into Konect 62, a huge manufacturing and distribution hub with links to the M62, the port of Immingham and canal access – meeting the transport needs of the low-carbon economy.

Similar projects are transforming brownfield sites in Sherburn-in-Elmet, while colleagues at City of York Council are overseeing York Central which will provide thousands of homes and over a million square feet of business and leisure space in one of the country’s biggest brownfield regeneration sites.

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We’re investing too in the workforce of the future. Askham Bryan College recently opened its £2.7m facility, training students in advanced agricultural techniques. Meanwhile the University of York continues its work developing sustainable food crops and biofuels, through its Centre for Novel Agricultural Products (CNAP).

All this is against the backdrop of the devolution process which, next year will see our region elect a mayor for whom inward investment will be high on the agenda. A Mayoral Combined Authority (MCA) means funding decisions can be made right here. With the launch of North Yorkshire Council last month, we are now one organisation with one vision that sends a clear message that we are open to business, while also understanding the very different and diverse communities across England’s largest county.

Carl Les is leader of North Yorkshire Council.

Related topics:North YorkshireYorkLeeds