Nicholas Craig column

Sep 21 2006 By Nicholas Craig, The Journal

People love Newcastle. The city has just been voted the UK's fourth favourite city in the Conde Nast Traveller survey, weeks after it was voted one of the most popular destinations in the UK for families moving house according to Move Monitor.

We were beaten by only one English city as favourite destination - London - which had to content itself with third place behind Glasgow and Edinburgh.

The North-East beat the country as the happiest region last year, and Newcastle has regularly scored highly as one of the best places to work.

My only flicker of concern is whether the massive effort is genuinely making it easier for us to attract investors and employers ready to make a long-term commitment to the economic health of the region.

While developing entrepreneurial talent and "home grown" businesses is vital, we also have to attract new investment to compete globally.

The way in which development agencies, local authorities and national government worked together to encourage Nissan to move to Sunderland made a huge difference to our eventual success. We need the same approach now from the many organisations designed to create investment and interest in the North-East if we are to drive forward the region.

Yet more surveys trumpet our marketability this week. In commercial property, Newcastle is ranked second and third in the UK for industrial and office market strength respectively, and it does well for growth potential of property too.

But we are still losing too many of our brightest and best people. A new focus on funding and attracting new business is urgently required.

Otherwise, the awards cupboard may be full but there will be even fewer well-paid, skilled, long-term careers on offer in the future.

Nicholas Craig is a partner at Watson Burton law firm.