Council in capital to attract investment

Representatives from Harrogate Borough Council (HBC) are among the largest and most joined-up Leeds City Region delegation to date at the MIPIM UK property show in London this week.
A double-decker bus at the  international MIPIM property event in Cannes in March advertises this weeks MIPIM UK property event in London. (S)A double-decker bus at the  international MIPIM property event in Cannes in March advertises this weeks MIPIM UK property event in London. (S)
A double-decker bus at the international MIPIM property event in Cannes in March advertises this weeks MIPIM UK property event in London. (S)

Leeds City Region covers the whole of West Yorkshire, as well as parts of South and North Yorkshire, including York and the Harrogate, Craven and Selby districts.

The first-ever MIPIM UK is a major British property industry event – an offshoot of the international Le marché international des professionnels de l’immobilier held annually in Cannes – and delegation organiser Leeds and Partners, which is the strategic organisation responsible for attracting inward investment to Leeds, has this year confirmed a record attendance figure of more than 4,000.

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Speaking before the event, Daniel Harper, HBC economic development officer, said the delegation would be showcasing the district as the best place to invest, work and live.

“We have one of the highest business birth rates in the country, many city residents re-locate to Harrogate when they start a family because it offers a really high-quality, attractive lifestyle and they in turn start their own businesses in a very commercially supportive environment,” he said.

“We want to tell investors that people here are well-educated and with high levels of disposable income and to demonstrate how the planned improvements in connectivity, specifically HS2, will only open up better access to a pool of well-qualified talent. Our well-established professional and media services sectors are also a strong draw for growth.”

As Europe’s retail leader, Leeds City Region’s 10-year association with MIPIM has seen regional partners bring some of the largest investment and regeneration opportunities to market, with an announcement last year that the overall development taking place or in the pipeline for 2013 to 2017 amounted to £2.5bn.

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Roger Marsh, chairman of Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, said: “2014 has been a truly landmark year of stimulus and strengthening for the Leeds City Region economy. There are attractive returns throughout the City Region and we look forward to unveiling some of the most innovative and exciting developments.”