Fast-growing companies in the region say more devolution will help their companies
With tomorrow’s Budget expected to bring more detail on fiscal devolution, some of the North East’s fastest growing businesses are calling for greater local control to deliver real benefits for companies in the region.
Businesses featured in this year’s Ward Hadaway North East Fastest 50 show faster decision-making, stronger skills provision and better access to regional funding as areas that can support future expansion.
Alexander Rose, partner and public funding specialist at Ward Hadaway, explains: “High growth businesses see two main advantages in further devolution. First, they see the opportunity to have more say in decisions made locally, especially where there are obstacles to growth. Secondly, they are interested in the funding opportunities available through a substantial funding package given to the mayor’s authority will take more decisions for businesses in the area. handled and how the money is directed.
Gateshead-based GAP Group provides a good example of how delays can affect investment decisions. The recycling and materials recovery business has three major projects planned for 2027/28, but group chief executive Peter Moody said the time it takes to secure regulatory and planning approvals could affect where the projects end up taking place: “We are a Gateshead business through and through.
The Environment Agency permit variation allowing GAP to process plastics took 60 weeks, while the planning permit for the Dutch barn on the existing site took 14 months and is still outstanding. Peter said regional investment could also influence the pace and location of future projects. He added: “Capital support to help businesses invest in new plant and equipment, bringing in industrial land and funding for training are all easier to build that capacity in the North East than elsewhere.”
Premier Traffic Management is looking for more certainty on future infrastructure work. Spennymoor businesses have already invested in specialist manpower, vehicles and equipment, but Safety, Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) Director Andrew Stagg said a long-term understanding of the regional program would allow the commitment to be made more quickly and on a larger scale. He explained: “A clearer and longer-term regional infrastructure investment program will give businesses greater confidence to recruit, train and invest in advance rather than reacting once a project has been awarded.”
(Image: handout from McBryde and Co/Ward Hadaway)
At another Spennymoor business, Finnmark, CEO Jake Newport points out the speed in which support can be accessed when the opportunity arises. Sauna design and installation specialists have previously benefited from regional development funding, which can reduce some of the financial risks associated with expansion.
He said: “Opportunities don’t always have to wait a long application and approval process, so whether funding can respond to the pace of business growth will make a real difference.
Skills are another issue for Newton Aycliffe-based The Media Den, winner of this year’s Fastest 50 small business category. The company is expanding its team and prefers to hire locally, but co-founder Craig Maddison notes that the mix of marketing, data and technology expertise needed can be hard to find.
He explained: “We’d like to see more practical AI training shaped around what local employers need. That would help more people develop the skills that businesses are looking for and give them more opportunities to build careers here in the North East.”
This Is Me Agency wants local expertise to be more reflected in decisions made in the region. Consett’s business, which supports disabled and neurodivergent people through Access to Work, has grown from eight clients in 2019 to more than 360 today. Director Michelle Dobson believes specialist organizations should be involved as more workforce support is decided locally.
He said: “We know this area, its people and the challenges they face. As more workforce support is determined locally, small specialist businesses like ours need to have a seat at the table.”
Mr. Rose believes that the opportunity lies in using devolution to tackle some of the problems faced by businesses when they try to expand: “This company has invested, recruiting and planning for growth. Do they want to know what other local control will make it easier to move the project forward at pace, find the skills they need and get access to the right support at the right time. If so, there is another reason to make an investment in the North East.”