Lord Heseltine gives Liverpool growth and jobs report to Prime Minister
Source: The Times - 20 October 2011
Lord Heseltine will urge Prime Minister David Cameron to relocate thousands of civil service jobs to Liverpool and make the city the home of the country’s first Green Investment Bank in order to boost the regional economy.
The former secretary of state for trade and industry co-authored a 50-page report on how to grow the Liverpool city region, being given to Mr Cameron today.
Recommendations put forward by Lord Heseltine and co-writer Terry Leahy, former chief executive of Tesco, include:
Making Liverpool the home to the first Green Investment Bank to boost environmental and clean energy projects;
Making the Mersey the cleanest urban river in the world within 25 years;
Supporting a drive to make Liverpool the home of the first World Expo in the UK since the Festival of Britain in 1951;
Relocating civil service jobs to the region in order to set an example to major businesses and end the economic grip of the South East;
Pooling business rates across the region’s six authorities in order to support high-return growth projects;
Building on the city’s reputation as a “creative hub” by creating free, blanket wi-fi coverage across the business district.
In the preface to his report, Lord Heseltine wrote: “These are not ‘pie in the sky’ ideas, but practical suggestions as to how the city region can build upon its existing strengths and shape its future to ensure that it remains competitive and prosperous.”
On the green investment bank pitch, he wrote: “There are many candidates but Liverpool’s banking history and current success is sectors such as wealth management and insurance make it an obvious choice.”
When asked by the Daily Post if he believed Mr Cameron would take the recommendations on board, he said only: “That’s a matter for the Prime Minister.”
But Lord Heseltine’s expertise and knowledge of Liverpool are held in high regard in Westminster. In the late 1970s and early 1980s he spearheaded major regeneration projects such as the Garden Festival Site and the resurrection of the Albert Dock.
Council leader Cllr Joe Anderson said: “It’s good the report has come from someone who is respected by Government.
“I would like to think that David Cameron looks at this in a way that is favourable towards us and our wishes to move forward.
“I have said to the other regional leaders that we have to look on him and Sir Terry as critical friends. They are both very successful businessmen in their own right and there are a lot of thing in this report which should be taken notice of.
“There are things in there that we are doing. For example, I put in a request for the green bank to be located here and he takes that on board.
“And he is absolutely spot on when he talks about the river and the power that is there to be enhanced.
“We are certainly determined to work with him, and with Government, we’ve always made that clear and I’m glad to see he recognises that.”
Max Steinberg, chief executive of Liverpool Vision, added: “Liverpool Vision will be working with partners over coming months to consider and develop these ideas, especially that of hosting a UK International Expo which would help to showcase the excellence, innovation and dynamism of the region.
“There are, though, clearly a number of significant challenges to overcome if Liverpool is to achieve its full potential as a regional leader and economic driver which we, with others, are constantly addressing.
“We are working with the City Council, Sefton Council, Peel and other public and community partners on implementing our comprehensive long-term regeneration framework for North Liverpool which incorporates the critical importance of the Port and a low carbon future.”
"Government should provide a lead to the private sector demonstrating that it conducts high-level national business in Liverpool, with more civil servants and high level functions based in Liverpool."
"The Green Investment Bank should be based in central Liverpool, to benefit from its track record in the sector and the cost and quality of life such a location confers."
"Government should amend the currently proposed High Speed Two rail route so it connects to both Manchester and Liverpool directly, in the same time frame and to the same standard. Government should commit to assuring Liverpool’s historic parity with Manchester for travel time to London and thereby avert harmful competitive disadvantage in attracting inward investors."
"Immediate priority should go to developing the proposed Bio-Innovation Centre to provide growth-stage space, a proof of concept lab, business support centre and incubator."
"The six Liverpool city region local authorities should develop a strategy for maximising business rates and options to pool retained business rates so as to support high return programmes that deliver strategic growth priorities."
"Government should establish a task force to establish how a multi-purpose Mersey Barrage can be funded and how the River Mersey can become the world’s cleanest river in an urban setting."
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