Exclusive: Communities Secretary Greg Clark discusses Liverpool’s role in the Northern Powerhouse

With the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) this week launching its Local Growth Hub, work getting underway on the £100m plan to transform Edge Lane and the multi-million pound cranes arriving at Peel Ports’ Liverpool2 deepwater container terminal, the area looks like it’s on the cusp of something big.

Key players here are not only strengthening the economy of the City Region, but working to position Liverpool as a key driver of the government’s Northern Powerhouse plans.

Today, Bdaily spoke to Communities Secretary Greg Clark about strengthening Liverpool and the wider North by encouraging businesses to take advantage of Local Growth Fund investment. This is what he had to say about region’s prospects:

This Government is determined to rebalance the economy and create opportunities for everyone to get on and succeed in life. However, for too long our economy has been centralised with London dominating plans for growth.

The Liverpool City Region is rightly proud of its industry, culture and heritage, but from once being home to the world’s port, it has faced stiff economic competition from global operators. We need to help it better compete through an investment boost.

Over the next five years, the area is set to receive more than £263m through the Local Enterprise Partnership. There are 39 of these Partnerships around the country made up of local businesses and councils, set up to drive growth.

This money will create 13k new jobs, build 10k more good quality homes and potentially bring in another £200m of investment to the City Region.

Already, £32m has been allocated towards making major improvements across the City Region. Like the building improvements to six local colleges, including Wirral Met and Riverside Colleges, making sure this city’s young people have the training they need to secure the high-skill jobs of the future.

And the integral works to improve transport links across the region will see a new station at Maghull North and the fully accessible station and transport hub at Newton-le-Willows interchange.

These investments aren’t decided by Whitehall, but chosen by people who live and work in the city region. The Local Growth Fund still has £1.8bn of unallocated funding and we’re now inviting local businesses and the council to get their applications in before the summer and secure the City Region’s fair share.

It’s important to keep the momentum going across the cities of the North. Since 2010, there are now nearly 160k more businesses – that’s over 85 more businesses every day. And if the Northern Powerhouse were a country, it would be the 10th biggest economy in Europe.

We are in the midst of the most radical shake up of the relationship between government and its people for a generation. Through the devolution revolution we are handing ever greater power back to the people of the Liverpool City Region – people who know their area best and know what decisions will make a difference to their lives.

– Communities Secretary Greg Clark