The Humber Growth Board Joint Mayoral Committee held its inaugural meeting in Hessle, bringing together the mayors of Hull and East Yorkshire and Greater Lincolnshire to coordinate economic development across the four-council region. Hull and East Yorkshire Mayor Luke Campbell (Reform UK) declared that 'there is so much untapped potential' in the Humber area, emphasizing the need for cross-Humber collaboration.
First Meeting of the Joint Mayoral Committee
The meeting, held over a year after the two mayors were first elected, saw the confirmation of terms of reference. The mayors will rotate chairing the board annually, with Mayor Campbell taking the first term. Each combined authority presented its Local Growth Plan, outlining investment priorities for the coming years. Hull and East Yorkshire's plan includes a ten-year framework focusing on Bridlington Bay development and regeneration of Hull's Western Docklands.
'There is so much untapped potential in this region and I think all of us working together can really unlock that potential,' said Mr Campbell, highlighting the benefits of collaboration. Referring to a Local Growth Plan video produced by Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority (HEYCA), he added, 'Everything you do see in that video is all possible. But look, if it was easy, it would all be done by now, right?'
Greater Lincolnshire's Growth Plan and Net Zero Debate
Greater Lincolnshire's Local Growth Plan, due for adoption in September, was presented in draft form by Chief Executive Lee Sirdifield. He identified key sectors: agri-food, defence, port and logistics, and advanced manufacturing and energy. During the presentation, Mayor Dame Andrea Jenkyns (Reform UK) interrupted to question the inclusion of 'decarbonisation' in the draft. 'You sneaked in a 'decarbonisation', didn't you?' she said. Mr Sirdifield confirmed its presence. 'That didn't run past me,' Dame Andrea responded, adding, 'That won't be there in September,' to laughter from some attendees. Her electoral platform had included the stance that 'Net zero policies are crippling Lincolnshire's economy.'
Local Innovation Partnership Fund Investment
The board also discussed the Local Innovation Partnership Fund (LIPF) investment. Greater Lincolnshire will receive up to £20 million to support agri-tech and defence. HEYCA successfully bid jointly with Teesside for £30 million for clean energy and industrial research and development projects. Mr Sirdifield noted that each combined authority supported the other's bid, stating, 'We worked to identify areas where we could each get some benefit, which I think is a real precedent to the relationship between the organisations.'
Future Agendas and Devolution
The meeting concluded with discussions on future agendas, with the board now required to meet at least four times a year. North Lincolnshire Council leader Cllr Rob Waltham (Conservative) raised the prospect of further devolved powers, saying, 'We've got to be getting ready for deal 2. It's a conversation that we had at our combined authority yesterday. So we're using this pan-Humber working to be preparing for what deal 2 looks like.'
Criticism Over Delay
Prior to the meeting, former North East Lincolnshire Council leader Cllr Philip Jackson (Conservative) criticized the time taken to convene the board. 'It's taken almost a year to get it constituted. That's been a huge frustration because all the unitary authority leaders around the Humber have all been working together to try and get some sort of a growth board moving that could talk with a single voice to Government,' he said. He added that the Labour Government had emphasized cross-Humber economic working in devolution deals, and there is a power of Government devolution review 'if they aren't satisfied after three years,' noting that a year had already passed. Both mayors were contacted for comment via their respective combined authorities.
