Councils want to take care of business

Greater Manchester councils have submitted a joint bid to take charge of backing business across the region.

The Government is axing regional development agencies including the North West Regional Development Agency, which were set up to attract jobs and money.

Instead Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) will be created to take on the role of encouraging economic development and private-sector job growth.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles said 56 proposals had been submitted, including the Greater Manchester proposal. Ministers will now consider the bids over the next few weeks, before publishing detailed plans in the autumn.

Oldham Council leader Howard Sykes said: “The LEP proposal is a fantastic opportunity for Greater Manchester. All 10 local authorities already work closely together on issues such as economic development, housing and transport, but we also have the potential to do even better.

“The LEP will open up more opportunities to work effectively with the private sector.”