The Mayor of York and North Yorkshire has launched a new forum to
unlock investment and drive job growth in the region.
The first York and North Yorkshire Development Forum, held at
York Biotech Campus earlier this week, brought together
developers behind the region's key and strategic employment
sites.
Under the Invest in York and North Yorkshire partnership, the
forum also included key partners at North Yorkshire Council and
the City of York Council.
This first meeting was an open discussion about challenges, the
vision of the councils and the opportunities ahead including the
incoming Local Growth Plan which will be launched in Spring 2025.
James Farrar, the CEO of York and North Yorkshire Combined
Authority, chaired the meeting and Mayor opened discussions with the
developers by talking about his growth ambitions for the region.
With the Invest in York and North Yorkshire partnership, Mayor
has singled out rail,
manufacturing, creative and digital, healthy ageing and
industrial biotech and agritech as sectors which are already
well-established or emerging as strong with opportunities for
growth.
Mayor told the Development Forum:
“York and North Yorkshire is a fantastic place to live and do
business – we are well connected, we boast world-leading
universities and research centres, and that is all underpinned by
the people who live here and skills they provide.
"These strong foundations are why so many businesses have thrived
here and made names for themselves across the world.
“To go for growth, we need to have the developers which
facilitate the next generation of businesses at the heart of our
approach, so we can keep creating opportunities and more
high-quality jobs.
“Public and private sector relationships are essential for our
region to reach its full potential, so that is why it is
important to build connections, launch the Development Forum and
help drive long-term growth.”
After the meeting Sarah Friskney, property development director
at Glentrool, said:
“I am delighted to be here, and I think it has been a huge
success. The format of the forum and who attended was absolutely
first class, which led to a healthy debate.
“As developers we don't often get in the same room but it's clear
we are all in the same boat. It is all about open communication
and getting everyone back around the table, so we can all get
aligned and go for growth.”
Chris Davidson, regional director at Harworth Group, also said:
“Gascoigne Interchange got planning earlier this year, so we need
to get on and develop the site as fast as we can.
“The key thing for us now is getting those quick decisions
through planning. So, this morning for me was perfect. It is the
start of our journey to get all our stakeholders around a table
so we can make these investments and drive growth.”
The York and North Yorkshire Development Forum will be held once
every six months at key locations across the region, to keep the
lines of communication open and unlock opportunities for growth
across the region.
