A decision on who will be next lead Humber Local Enterprise Partnership has been put on hold.
A successor to current chair Lord Haskins was expected to be confirmed at Friday’s LEP board meeting, but progress on devolution has seen the appointment put on ice.
Three candidates for the unpaid role were interviewed last week after the 82-year-old peer confirmed his intention to stand down after eight years at the helm of the partnership, which allocates government funding on economic developments.
He became chair after interim helmsman John Clugston worked with Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce to bring the partnership together.
Potential successors include former East Riding Council leader and now deputy LEP chair Stephen Parnaby, recently appointed as a director of Barton-based Wren Kitchens, and Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce board member Mike Whitehead.
He is a former Conservative East Riding councillor who stood for 海角视频IP as a candidate in the last Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner election, before quitting the party last year.
Away from politics, he runs a property management business. The third candidate is understood to be a well-known figure in the Humber business community.
There has been some pressure exerted to ensure a North Bank / South Bank alternation in the role.
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Grimsby’s David Ross had served as LEP vice chairman, until the collapse of third generation family firm Cosalt saw his business interests in the area disappear back in 2013. Former Young’s Seafood boss Mike Parker OBE had followed Mr Ross, but stepped down after one term. Solicitor Stephen Savage serves as vice chairman, as too does Hull entrepreneur Tim Rix.
Board members have now agreed to defer a decision on the appointment until their next meeting on March 20.
The delay comes after talks were held earlier this week between the region’s four council leaders and Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry over a potential devolution deal for the Humber.
In a statement the LEP said: “In light of recent positive ministerial discussions, which may change the nature of the chair role, the board decided today to defer consideration of the appointment of a new chair.”
A deal on devolving Whitehall powers to a new-look combined authority including all four councils around the Humber appears to be edging closer after ministers rejected the idea of so-called One Yorkshire deal last year.
If agreed, it would be similar to already-agreed city-region deals covering Greater Manchester and Sheffield where directly-elected metro mayors Andy Burnham and Dan Jarvis are in charge. Another deal covering West Yorkshire centred on Leeds is expected to be signed off shortly.
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Until recently, the two South Bank councils had held back from supporting either a Humber deal or the continuation of the Humber LEP on its existing boundary.
Instead, they backed the idea of joining up with neighbouring councils in Lincolnshire, with both authorities having had a foot in both LEPs - a practice government wants to stamp out.
It appears they have now changed tack after pressure from Mr Berry – signatory to the Great Grimsby Town Deal – to agree to a Humber deal.
It’s not yet clear what form it would take in terms of leadership or the strategic issues it would be responsible for. One option is to have a figure in charge of both the new authority and the LEP.
Whatever emerges, the existing four councils would continue to operate their current day-to-day services.