Future of the Northern Powerhouse to come under microscope at conference

Speakers drawn from top management in local government, local and national business, and financial institutions will appear at the The Northern Powerhouse: One Agenda Summit, which is hosted at DLA Piper LLP at Princes Exchange.

Organisers say that the Northern Powerhouse project work will require “productive and dynamic cities that can attract and retain the ‘millennial’ generation”.

The programme for the conference will be focusing particularly on this challenge.

A blueprint for how £13 billion of government investment will help create the Northern Powerhouse was unveiled in September last year with £600m added in the Autumn Statement and a further £200m in the last Budget.

The welcome address will come from Leeds City Council leader Judith Blake followed by speeches from KPMG northern chairman and senior partner Chris Hearld and Leeds City Council chief executive Tom Riordan.

There will then a hour devoted to the theme of how northern cities can turned into “positive magnets” which will be moderated by DLA Piper partner Allison Page.

In the afternoon Jin Xu, minister councillor at the Chinese Embassy will provide an outsider’s perspective on investing in the north.

There will then be further sections looking at means of exploring finance growth and creating transport infrastructures.

Tom Riordan, chief executive of Leeds City Council,said: “The Northern Powerhouse needs very clear substance in the next few months.”

- Follow live coverage of the conference at www.yorkshirepost.co.uk and see tomorrow’s paper for a full report.