Collaboration will continue on the Humber when the local enterprise partnership is dissolved, chairman Stephen Parnaby OBE has assured the region鈥檚 business community.
The huge energy, decarbonisation and the ports agendas will be passed to the Humber Leadership Board, a committee featuring the four local authority leaders and chairs of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP and soon-to-emerge Hull and East Riding LEP.
It will also inherit the Local Industrial Strategy - still with the government having had its progress halted by last December鈥檚 election which changed the estuary鈥檚 political landscape.
Mr Parnaby said: 鈥淥ur economic future lies in collaboration across the Humber Estuary, working together to get the most of the big opportunities coming our way. Over the last few years the North Bank and South Bank have been working more closely together, in which the LEP has played a major role, and that has been a good thing for everyone, particularly for the future."
Reflecting on the government decision on single LEP representation, which led to the split set for April 1, 2021, he said: 鈥淥ur priority must now be to support the smooth transition. This may not be the outcome that many people wanted but we need to make it work in the best interests of the area, and I encourage everyone to get involved.
鈥淭he legacy we leave as a Humber LEP is a region of much clearer economic identity, sense of purpose and a reason for being. The Energy Estuary is snow well established, and what we and the organisations we work with have started, will continue to grow.
鈥淎 region with a plan acting on its opportunities.鈥
'Government absolutely committed to the Humber as a region'
Stephen Savage, chair of the Humber LEP鈥檚 Employment and Skills Board, told how the Humber as an economic entity was critical to the government and Nez Zero ambition.
Addressing concerns over skills in the new administrations, at a post-AGM panel Q&A, he said of the split: 鈥淲e have to accept it couldn鈥檛 come at a worse time. Covid, Brexit, the abolition of the Humber LEP - one coincidence is bad enough, two is just dreadful...聽 but the commitment is there, the will is there and also the government, and while they can鈥檛 interfere with local democracy which this has come about as a result - primarily of the South Bank local authorities not wanting the Humber LEP to continue - the government is absolutely committed to the continuation of the Humber as a region and it knows how important it is in relation to the economic success of the 海角视频, particularly in relation to meeting Net Zero targets. It can鈥檛 do that unless the Humber does that, and the Humber can鈥檛 do that unless it works together.
鈥淲hile it is unfortunate, we will continue, all of us, to support the Humber in its transition.鈥
Of the Local Industrial Strategy, a significant piece of work in the year under review at the virtual annual meeting, Mr Parnaby told how 鈥渋t will live on as a plan for the Humber Estuary, to be owned by the leadership board,鈥 stating it will be launched soon.
鈥淭here is a clear agenda and a set of actions and I am confident the business sector will be involved with the leadership board to ensure the private sector鈥檚 voice is heard.鈥
Mr Parnaby told how formation and recruitment for the Hull and East Yorkshire LEP board will begin shortly, with Arco joint managing director Thomas Martin 鈥渂ringing forward a business voice to support it,鈥.
The meeting heard how the Humber鈥檚 economy was thriving prior to the coronavirus pandemic, with the highest growth and employment rates.
The claimant count had been at 20,000, and almost doubled to 40,000 through April and May, levelling off at that level, which now remains.
Describing it as an 鈥渆conomic shock as well as a health emergency,鈥 Mr Parnaby said the 鈥渆conomy will look different鈥 when we emerge.
鈥淒espite the recent welcome announcement of a vaccine, there is still a long way to go,鈥 he said. 鈥淭his region now has one of the highest figures in the country for people affected by coronavirus. When we do come out of this our economy will look different.
鈥淭here are reasons to be optimistic, more than most places we really do have a 24/7 economy here. The refineries, the chemical sector and ports never stop. Like we always do, the Humber helps keep the lights on, and essential goods moving in and out of the country.
鈥淪ome significant parts of our manufacturing sector, such as the caravan industry, were initially hit hard but have come back stronger and are already growing again.
聽鈥淭he big opportunities we were all talking about before the pandemic 鈥 in offshore wind, industrial decarbonisation and developing a freeport 鈥 haven鈥檛 gone away.聽 In fact, work has continued on them throughout, and 鈥 as we鈥檝e seen from recent announcements 鈥 the Humber is proving to be an attractive proposition for inward investment on that.
鈥淭here is more on the horizon and the signs are good.聽 When it comes to the kind of clean growth that will help the 海角视频 鈥榖uild back better鈥 from Covid, nowhere has greater potential than the Humber and that is well understood by industry and government.
鈥淭he sense of community we have here, and people鈥檚 willingness to help each other out, has never been more important.鈥
He added that 鈥淏rexit will be a massive challenge for everyone, particularly new organisations coming to the fold,鈥 adding 鈥淚 am confident we have the people at all levels who will maximise our opportunities.鈥
Chief executive Kishor Tailor presented the numbers, outlining 拢335 million of public investment to date, with 拢204 million worth of projects completed, leveraging a further 拢390 million in private funds. It has led to 7,161 jobs of which 564 were in the period in review, which had also brought more than 拢24 million in combined infrastructure, skills and housing investment.
A total of 43 companies are now on secured enterprise zones, with 1,800 new jobs.
Emerging projects including Arco鈥檚 new headquarters in Hull, Croda鈥檚 distribution centre and Siemens Mobility鈥檚 new train facility - both at Goole - were highlighted.
