Sykes joins LEP board

OLDHAM Council leader Councillor Howard Sykes has been appointed to the board of the new Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership.

He has taken one of four local authority positions — the others are held by Lord Peter Smith, Manchester City Council leader Sir Richard Leese and Councillor Bob Bibby — and all four have executive positions with the Association of Greater Manchester Local Authorities.

Mike Blackburn, BT’s regional director for the North-West, will chair the LEP, which became operational on April 1.

The board will ensure the GM LEP will support business and local authorities to grow the private sector, tackle major barriers to growth and develop shared strategies for the local economy to increase job creation.

They will also play an important role in bringing together Manchester’s bids for a share of the £1.4 billion, three-year Regional Growth Fund.

Mr Blackburn said: “The creation of the GM LEP has been a swift and positive process and is testament to the strong sense of partnership working already in place across Greater Manchester.”

The creation of the GM LEP was approved by the Department for Communities and Local Government and Department for Business, Innovation and Skills last October.

One of 30 local enterprise partnerships across the UK, the LEP is part of the coalition Government’s strategy to replace the regional development agency structure, which it has abolished.

The eight remaining board positions were confirmed at the first meeting of the new Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA). They are: Keith Johnston, partner and head of North-West market, Addleshaw Goddard; Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, president and vice-chancellor, University of Manchester; Neil McArthur, chairman and head of innovation, Talk Talk Technology; Ken Knott, chief executive, Ask Developments Group Ltd; Peter Marks, group chief executive, Co-operative Group; Alison Tumilty, deputy chief executive and finance director, Rathbone Training Ltd; Roger Milburn, director, Ove Arup and Partners Ltd; Scott Fletcher, chairman, ANS Group.