What a Northern Powerhouse in Yorkshire means to: Julie Bickerdyke, MD of Austin Hayes Ltd

As Bdaily’s Northern Powerhouse series continues to give the business people of Yorkshire the opportunity to voice their opinions on the the government’s Northern Powerhouse initiative, we speak with Julie Bickerdyke, managing director of Leeds-based Austin Hayes Ltd.

Julie has been with Austin Hayes since October 1994, originally joining the company as company accountant before becoming finance director in 2008. Prior to joining Austin Hayes, Julie worked for Sagars chartered accountants.

With a strong financial background, Julie has also recently become Chairman of the West Yorkshire branch of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). So let’s find out Julie’s take on a Northern Powerhouse in Yorkshire.

What do you think the Northern Powerhouse will do for Yorkshire?

The North is a great place to work and live and is under-appreciated by the rest of the country. I believe the Northern Powerhouse will raise the profile of businesses in Yorkshire and encourage interest in trading with Yorkshire businesses. The businesses themselves will still have to prove that they are competitive and have something different to offer but I believe once the conversation is enabled this won’t be a problem. Northerners are just as professional and sophisticated as our southern peers.

What will the Northern Powerhouse do for Austin Hayes?

Any initiative that makes the Yorkshire and the North of England a more attractive place to do business has to get my attention. Improved transport links within the North and also to the rest of the country will have a big impact on who we can do business with. The concept itself will help to raise the profile and awareness of any business that links itself to the Northern Powerhouse.

Has the government done enough to convince you of its commitment to George Osborne’s vision?

I attended the Northern Powerhouse Conference in Manchester in February. I wanted to hear what progress has been made towards the objectives and whether it’s a viable option. Will it make us stronger by working together and how will it benefit Austin Hayes? The government representation at the conference didn’t necessarily convince me that they were clear on the objectives and outcomes. However, it was great to hear the Northern council leaders talking about working together and sounding very genuine and positive.

The government’s commitment to HS2 and HS3, along with budget announced funding for flood defenses and improved road links in the North is welcome news.

Connectivity has been a major driving force behind the Northern Powerhouse. Do you believe that spending billions of infrastructure will improve the economic climate in the North?

The investment is vital; it’s a shame the end results will take so long as we desperately need these improvements. It was a moot point at the NP Conference that Tom Riordan, leader of Leeds City Council was late for his own debate because his train was delayed.

I believe a major key to improving connectivity is access to airports. Manchester has reasonable road and rail links, but Leeds Bradford airport links need major investment and improvement. Current access is shockingly bad and although improvements are planned they don’t go far enough to make it truly accessible.

Business leaders do need to meet face to face for better business relationships. HS2 will be great for better national connections and we also need to be better connected to one another in the North.

The M62 which links East and West is still fraught with delays on a daily basis despite years of road works. I was very pleased to hear of funding for improvements to the M62 in the budget.

Faster train links between our northern cities will make a huge difference to business.

What, if any, other sectors/industries should the government key in on to achieve a Northern Powerhouse?

The building of the new rail and road links will bring jobs to the area. I would like to see some commitment to ensuring those jobs and contracts go to Northern businesses and people. More support and investment in R&D for manufacturing would also be welcome; this industry employs many people in the North and should be assisted to remain competitive in order to retain those jobs, rather than see manufacturing disappear overseas. Anything that encourages large numbers of people in employment should be applauded. Towns and villages with high unemployment are a drain on the economy and a depressing place to live.

Are there any other areas which you believe money should be spent on, ahead of transport?

Transport is top of my list. Digital connectivity is also of huge importance to all businesses and especially those in remote regions. The North of England is dispersed over wide areas of inaccessible countryside. Superfast broadband is a must but still unaffordable for those businesses too far from their local exchange to obtain it, even with assisted funding.

As with Sheffield, should the other regions in Yorkshire try to strike a devolution deal with the government?

Autonomy for regions is to be encouraged. They are the people on the ground, closest to the real life situation and know how best to spend funding to be most effective. I don’t know to what level the devolution should go. Maybe we should have started with ‘The North’ before devolving city regions.

Will the Northern Powerhouse be realised in Yorkshire?

Yes, the businesses of Yorkshire will make sure it is.

I believe that the North of England can become a powerhouse and that we are stronger together. There will always be inter-city rivalry to some extent and this is natural. Each region within the North has its own characteristics and things it does well. As long as we are aware of one another’s strong points and can appreciate them we can be better together.

I believe the same applies to the UK’s relationship to Europe. If Northern cities are better and stronger together, surely the same applies to the UK belonging in Europe. Yes, some of the laws and regulations sometimes seem onerous, but protecting the vulnerable is important. The rest of the world prefer to do business with countries that are members of the European Union and our international trade could be severely damaged. Importing and exporting to European Union countries will also become more difficult and impact profitability.

Thank you Julie.

Don’t miss our latest Northern Powerhouse coverage here. To nominate a Yorkshire business leader to be part of our new series, contact Nick at nick.hill@bdaily.co.uk.