EG Leeds Question Time: Sky’s director of digital platforms has said Leeds came out on top in a global analysis of cities for access to skills.
Matt Grest, who has led Sky’s launch of a 61,000 sq ft technology hub at Allied London’s Leeds Dock, said: “We put a pin on the map, we did a one hour commute radius around Leeds and we asked, within that area could we get access to the skills we needed?
“And the answer is yes.”
The city is positioning itself as a centre for IT and digital, and there is an increasing trend of professionals moving to Leeds from London to benefit from cheaper rents and less expensive travel, he said at the EG Question Time in Leeds. The tech hub will create 400 highly skilled jobs in Leeds.
“Let us not be modest about the fact that Leeds is a fantastic place to live and work,” Grest said.
John Lewis’ property director Jeremy Collins said the decision was made “in the teeth of the recession” to open a store in Leeds city centre partly because of the “latent capacity” of the city. Leeds’ first John Lewis department store is due to open at Hammerson’s Victoria Gate scheme in October.
“What Leeds has and is starting to build is an abundance of other reasons to visit, and I’m sure that tourism will be an increasingly important part of a successful retail destination”, Collins said.
Cultural activities, and offering a clean, safe, secure, friendly and welcoming environment were all important factors in getting shoppers into the city, he added.
Simon Sherwood, partner at Mills & Reeves, said Leeds was a fantastic place to live and work, but argued that businesses and local government needed to get better at promoting the city region, which hosts an abundance of cultural events including the Yorkshire Festival and Tour de Yorkshire.
“I think it is encumbant on all of us, whether it is local government or businesses to promote,” he said. “I just simply don’t think that we do enough of that.”
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