Business leaders in Bradford have moved a step closer to forming a blueprint for economic growth after the Government’s decision to abolish Yorkshire Forward and other regional development agencies.

Following a meeting of the Cabinet in Bradford last month, ministers announced that Local Enterprise Partnerships would replace the RDAs.

They challenged local business leaders and politicians to suggest where and how LEPs would work to and enable areas to bid for a share of the new £1 billion Regional Growth Fund, to be run by a panel headed by former Deputy Prime Minister Lord Heseltine.

Following a meeting held by Bradford Chamber of Commerce, a consensus is emerging on a three-tier approach to supporting economic growth. The chamber has today started an online consultation to gather the views of the wider Bradford business community.

Both business chiefs and Bradford Council leader Coun Ian Greenwood supported the idea of a ‘Community Interest Company’ to oversee areas such as transport, skills and economic intelligence-gathering, which they believe should be handled at a pan-Yorkshire level Businessman Barry Dodd, who chairs a steering committee looking at establishing the CIC, believes that areas such as tourism, inward investment and venture capital work would best be handled regionally rather than nationally, as proposed by the Government.

Local Enterprise Partnerships of businesses and local authorities would form another layer. The exact boundaries of these are yet to be decided.

Coun Greenwood and other Yorkshire council leaders feel they should be based around city regions, including the Leeds City Region, which covers five local authorities, including Bradford. At a district level, councils would focus on local economic matters The Chamber meeting was part of a process that will result in firm proposals for this area being put to the Government by the consultation deadline of September 6 before the publication of a White Paper on LEPs and economic strategy in the autumn.

Chamber president Harold Robinson said: “The meeting was helpful in both learning more about what LEPs are meant to do, and to gauge the awareness and views of some of our members. We will now go out to the wider business community with information about the proposals, and ask for their thoughts.

“We’ll continue to liaise with Coun Greenwood and other partners on what we feel should and should not be included in the LEP’s functions and responsibilities, as well as what the geographical boundaries should be for the new body.”

Sandy Needham, Chamber chief executive, said Bradford business was more concerned about ensuring the right functions were carried out to achieve economic growth, rather than the geography of bodies set up for this purpose.

She said: “Concerns and questions at the meeting included the need for considering function before geographical boundary, getting the balance between local and regional functions right, and the possibility of a ‘northern powerhouse’ of combined urban areas or city regions.”