The Northern Power Towns group, a partnership between public and private sector partners, including councils, businesses and community organisations, has worked together for the last five years to support inclusive economic growth across the region.

This year’s conference included a thought-provoking session led by Sir Philip Redmond CBE – television producer and screenwriter best known for creating the television series Grange Hill, Brookside and Hollyoaks – who shared his views on culture, business, place-making, politics, leadership, levelling up, and societal challenges across the region.

Sir Philip also answered questions from attendees around deprivation, economic growth and his reflections and learning from Liverpool’s time as European Capital of Culture in 2008.

This was followed by a focused discussion on devolution and ‘Northern leadership’ and its potential benefits for the North of England. The session was led by The NP11, a business-led group for the North established in 2018 which brings together the region’s 11 Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs).

The conference also enabled attendees to consider how, by working together and sharing best practice, partners across the North West can support green growth, housing, planning, science and transport.

Warrington Borough Council’s Chief Executive, Professor Steven Broomhead MBE, who chaired the conference, said: “It was good to see so many engaged partners across the North West attend this year’s conference at Birchwood Park here in Warrington.

“I am a strong believer in how effective public and private partnership working can address local and regional challenges, and I’m pleased to have been part of stimulating discussion with a number of leaders across the region about how we can work together to make improvements for our communities.

“The Northern Power Towns group represents millions of residents, from Runcorn to Rossendale, from Crewe to Carlisle, and by learning from each other and sharing best practice we can continue to support our ‘power towns’ to thrive across the North West.”