Alistair Arkley column

Sep 20 2006 By Alistair Arkley, The Journal

I suspect that after recent events that there might be a few of us feeling a bit cynical about the Government's often-expressed enthusiasm for `partnership' - after all there doesn't seem to have been much around the corridors of power!

However, all is not lost, judging by a recent meeting I attended to discuss the vision of local authority leaders in Newcastle on how to capitalise on the City Region concept which seems firmly established on the political agenda - whether through John Prescott's Northern Way or, more recently, the very strong indications given by new Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Ruth Kelly.

I have to say I came away impressed by the grasp shown by civic leaders in Newcastle on the crucial need to ensure that all sectors of the community are signed up to the City Region vision. If they can maintain that approach I believe it bodes well for not just Newcastle but the entire region.

Of course, Newcastle is not the only part of our region driving forward the City Region agenda and in the Tees Valley we are seeing interesting developments in response to the invitation by Ruth Kelly to set out its priorities.

In many respects the Tees Valley can claim to have led the way through the establishment of the Tees Valley Partnership and in bringing together all sectors to develop the Vision document, the foundation for the sub region's regeneration activities.

There are, I believe, useful lessons to be learned from the Tees Valley experience. The willingness of public, private and voluntary sectors to work together was crucial - vital - in enabling us to create a vision for the future of the area which properly reflected the aims and aspirations of the community.

Setting out a vision is one thing, agreeing on how to deliver it is very different - and much more challenging. That is because, inevitably, when it comes to the debate over delivery it becomes a question of money and how best to share out a financial cake which is never enough to meet everyone's aspirations and favoured projects. The challenge for those now building our new City Regions is how to create structures which are robust enough to bring all the partners together in committing themselves, not simply to warm words and blueprints, but hard decisions and real delivery.

Alistair Arkley is chairman of Northern Business Forum and chairman of New Century Inns.