A Bradford business chief sees the axing of Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency, as an opportunity to avoid a ‘tick-box’ target approach to economic growth.

As the debate about how to fill the gap left by Yorkshire Forward continues, Bradford Chamber of Commerce chief Sandy Needham said the focus should be on what any new body or bodies would do rather than the process.

She also stressed that new initiatives would only attract businesspeople to become involved if they allowed them to use their entrepreneurial skills rather than tie them into a prescribed agenda.

Mrs Needham was speaking as the Chamber launched a consultation among its 1,100 member companies about the best way forward for economic regeneration activities.

It follows the announcement by the coalition Government that the regional development agencies were to be phased out and replaced with Local Enterprise Partnerships.

She said: ”We are consulting our members about how best to drive forward economic growth and support local business and seeking views on proposals for a Local Enterprise Partnership through an online survey.”

Ministers envisage local authorities and business working together in local areas to bid for a share of the new £1 billion Regional Growth Fund which will be headed by former deputy Prime Minister Lord Heseltine.

So far in this region, local authority leaders have expressed a preference for LEPs to be based on the city regions established by the previous Government, whereas Bradford Chamber has expressed a preference for one based on West Yorkshire.

Both business and local authorities agree that some functions, such as transport, should continue to be handled regionally.

Sandy Needham said: “What needs to be ensured is that the new partnerships are based around business needs and are not forced to work to a prescribed agenda.

“Yorkshire Forward was set up with a strategic role, but over time, the Government added more responsibilities, and it became a quango running other quangos, all being managed by civil servants.

“It is essential that LEPs work with business in order to drive forward real growth and economic development, otherwise business people will be unlikely to get involved.

“So far, I have seen no indications that the coalition Government is providing any funding to run LEPs, so they will have to be funded initially by local authorities at a difficult time when other services are being cut.

“It is important that we get this right and we want as many Bradford businesses to let us have their views as possible so we can take the issue forward within a tight deadline.”