By Luke Campbell MBE, Mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire

Hull and East Yorkshire is a place that gets things done.

For generations, we’ve been shaped by the North Sea, powered by the Humber and connected to global markets. It’s allowed us to build an economy grounded in trade and industry, fuelled by a hardworking and resilient workforce.

Those same advantages are driving our future. Today, we’re home to world-class ports, advanced manufacturing and major energy production. It’s a place where innovation is rooted in real industry, and where businesses are used to competing on the global stage.

Devolution is our opportunity to build on those strengths. Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority is a platform for a clearer and more coordinated approach to growth. For investors, that means a simpler route into the region and a single path from early interest to full delivery.

We’re not starting from scratch either. We have a £16 billion economy, with manufacturing playing a bigger role here than in most parts of the UK. We have established supply chains and a skilled workforce. Above all, we have the capacity to support large-scale investment.

Our Local Growth Plan sets out a practical, common-sense approach that sets us up for long-term growth. It brings together our key sectors and reinforces what’s behind them. It’s realistic about what we need to do and recognises that growth doesn’t happen by chance.

Growth depends on having the right sites, the right infrastructure and the right decisions – made at the right time.

A £400 million investment programme and devolved powers put our Combined Authority in a position to move at pace. Our Freeport offers clear advantages – tax incentives, simplified customs and development-ready land – on the UK’s busiest trading estuary.

At the same time, a strong pipeline of opportunities is already being brought forward. From city centre regeneration in Hull, to serious industrial and coastal investment sites across East Yorkshire.

As Mayor, my role is to bring the right people together and cut through unnecessary barriers to make sure good ideas become real projects. Because growth only works if our residents benefit from it. That means better jobs, higher wages, stronger communities and places they’re proud to call home.

https://www.hullandeastyorkshire.gov.uk/news/article/68/we-re-ready-for-the-next-chapter