LEADERS from the proposed Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) appealed to businesses to make it work at an event in York on Thursday.

The Leeds City Region partnership, which is the preferred model for the new LEP in North and West Yorkshire, told businesses the LEP needed their input or the region would lose power to Whitehall.

The city region partnership launched its Innovation Capital Programme at the event in the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall, which forms part of its bid to Government on the powers it should have on a local level.

Kersten England, chief executive of City of York Council told delegates at the event, which included major York businesses as well as business people and organisations from the rest of the Leeds City Region, that local authorities and businesses have to get their act together to convince Government it can take on the task.

She said the organisation has until September, when the consultation period on LEPs ends, to prove itself to a sceptical Government.

But she said it was a “permissive environment” where there are no rules other than what works.

“It’s about us getting our act together and if we don’t, we’re in a position where the strongest models put to Government will be backed.”

Leader of the council, Coun Andrew Waller said York’s experience of enterprise partnerships should put it in a position to lead the thinking. “It’s an area we’re quite familiar with and can help the rest of the country.”

Bob Gomersall, chair of BTL Group and Virtual College Group, who is a member of the Leeds City Region economic drivers and innovation panel, said: “Where LEPs come in is they do offer the opportunity for businesses to get into the driving seat. But are businesses going to grab the opportunity? I hope we will do so and get involved. Either businesses are going to run with it and push the local authority along or it’s going to be much the same as previous initiatives.”

The Innovation Capital Programme includes plans to create an evidence base to understand innovation in the region to target business support and skills, map existing networks of businesses, education institutions and finance and use existing international relationships to benefit the whole city region.