What a Northern Powerhouse in Yorkshire means to: Chris Oldfield, chairman of UNTHA UK

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 Chris Oldfield, chairman of UNTHA UK.

With a career spanning more than 40 years in varied industrial sectors, Chris Oldfield, now chairman of the York-based shredder manufacturer UNTHA UK, shares his hopes for the Northern Powerhouse but stresses there’s work to be done before the initiative can find its feet.

Hi Chris, so what do you think the Northern Powerhouse will do for Yorkshire?

If the vision of the Northern Powerhouse is realised, this can be nothing but good news, both for the businesses that are the lifeblood of our regional economy, and the people who live here. I’d like to hope that towns and cities will become less disparate and more collaborative, and with the creation of one vastly successful region comes a newfound level of ‘punch’.

In a recent report from the House of Commons*, we were told that GVA for Yorkshire and the Humber lags considerably behind London and the South East (6.9% of the UK’s total GVA, compared to 22.9% and 15.1% accordingly). But I don’t think this would be the case if the Northern Powerhouse vision became a reality.

Innovation and development will continue, creating jobs, opportunities and more prosperous livelihoods for the people that call Yorkshire home.

What will the Northern Powerhouse do for UNTHA UK?

Because we’re part of a global brand, you would think that the Northern Powerhouse would have little impact on our business. But an innovative project such as this will create a newfound surge of energy and confidence, just like the London Olympics did. It will encourage people to build a future within Yorkshire, rather than looking elsewhere for better prospects, and it will hopefully attract people from outside of the company too.

The result will be a more talented pool of human resources that will help our company grow.

And of course, better transport links will make trips to our North Yorkshire test centre quicker and easier, which is great when customers’ time is so precious.

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

Unfortunately not yet. To me, their statements still appear pretty ‘wishy washy’, and I fear that the proposed sums of investment, whilst large, will not be enough. Perhaps this is because the idea initially came from a coalition government and, like many other initiatives from the 2010-2015 era of politics, it may gradually fall down the list of Osborne’s priorities.

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?

I think that yes, connectivity must be one of the prime areas of focus if we are to improve the economic climate in the North. That goes for physical connectivity (transport links) and digital connectivity too.

We’re told that 95% of UK premises will have Superfast fibre broadband by the end of 2017** for example – I’m sure that for many businesses, this date cannot come soon enough. It’s important in suburban and rural areas too not just city centre commercial hot spots. We’re told that flexible working boosts productivity, but if employees are stalled by sluggish internet speeds or intermittent phone signal, I doubt we’ll experience the benefits that the CIPD*** have identified.

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

In terms of making the Northern Powerhouse a success, I wonder how much the government has thought about communication. It’s unsurprising that I think the Northern Powerhouse is a good idea – I live here! But we cannot get away from the much-cited North-South divide. What do people in London think of the initiative? Will this change their perception of the North? Or is there more of a PR challenge to address than we realise?

I’d like to see greater investment in education and skills too, so that we can promote a more positive careers ‘ecosystem’. It’s devastating to hear of pioneering digital businesses, for example, turning jobs down because they can’t find the talent to handle the work and fuel their growth. At the moment, too many people are heading to London because they think that’s the only way to further their career prospects. This shouldn’t be the case.

It would also be fantastic if the Government could offer greater support to our manufacturing industries, which are a fantastic way to generate true wealth and, in Yorkshire specifically, remain in our county’s ‘blood’.

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

Technological connectivity is equally as important in my eyes, as I’ve already mentioned.

Only recently I was speaking to a digital marketing agency that has significantly outgrown its current premises. They’ve actively looked for their next ‘home’ – ideally a vibrant, inspiring and affordable space with parking and good transport links. But their search criteria have been drastically re-evaluated because each promising location has failed to provide the broadband capacity that they need to run their fast-paced business. This can’t be an isolated case.

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

In the environmental sector, the arena that I operate in, we see some fantastic examples of local authorities that really do lead the way in terms of the initiatives they rigorously research, test and roll out, before reaping great success. Such authorities are leading lights that, sadly, other councils could only dream of emulating.

My concern with devolution deals is that some regions will thrive with devolved power and others may fail. That said, it is already on the table for many cities in the North so I’ve no doubt other regions will be watching with a keen eye to potentially follow suit. It has worked in London, and seems to be the model of choice in the US, so perhaps it is the way forward.

Will the Northern Powerhouse be realised in Yorkshire?

Who can say with any certainty? The entire country doesn’t know what’s happening at the moment, so who can guarantee the Northern Powerhouse will find its feet? I truly hope it will be realised, but in reality, only time will tell.

Thanks Chris.