Letter: Private sector must play a part in regional devolution of power
I note that regional devolution of power in the form of the Northern Powerhouse is getting a head of steam up. Whether it is going anywhere is something else.
Out of 38 bidding regions Sheffield has jumped the queue to access £33 million of funds to control transport and strategic planning, plus input on strategy, skills, business growth and infrastructure.
Certain cities will even have their own mayor. This sounds a bit like my first career break as inkwell monitor at primary school – lots of status but no real breakthrough in educational policy.
Responsibility for transport is a vital function in the running of London. Given the cost of building a motorway is £30 million per mile, even widening the M1 costs £21 million, you could blow the entire budget getting precisely nowhere in Shropshire.
I can see a growth in committees, office space, and salaries to fund input on strategy to run the golden mile of motorway.
There is a point to be made in that the coast road renovation linking North Wales to Liverpool and Manchester absolutely transformed the area, but something like this for Shropshire would not be a regional decision. Even the 32km stretch of non-motorway trunk road from Bangor to Holyhead cost £101 million.
We are seeing things like Screen Yorkshire which is building a huge studio complex and has a content fund with £15 million provided by the European Regional development fund. Around that will come jobs and expenditure on hotels and other ancillary items. In other words it's not about managing the public sector, it's about facilitating private investment (or even better EU investment. We need a bit back).
The public sector is a nightmare and I cannot see any benefit in external input. What we are after in the first instance is wealth producing private investment.
Next would come amendment to national policy in terms of regional specific requirements. This would be a long hard look at prioritising resource production such as coal, steel and agriculture. I cannot see why farmers can be paid less than cost to produce milk. Do we have to abandon steel and coal production? (EU regulations on this I am afraid). We ought also to take a view on regional community facilities such as small shops and cafes and what they pay in rates.
Regional devolution must come from the grass roots and change may well be amendment of national policy rather than providing regional funds.
Robin Lloyd
Ellesmere
