During the past 20 years, South Yorkshire's economy has been emasculated by the steady decline of the coal, steel and engineering industries. In Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, Sheffield and surrounding areas, per capita GDP crashed to barely 70 per cent of the European average. Any road leads to last greenbelt site Green and leafy, Thorpe Park office development covers 271 acres outside Leeds beside the M1. For Leeds, it is crucial. The city's success as a financial services centre meant that companies eager to move in were struggling to find suitable accommodation.
Manufacturing continues to be the main source of employment in Yorkshire.
Sheffield steel production is at an all-time high, and innovative textile manufacturers continue to thrive in West Yorkshire. Regionals attempt to fill a gap Business is brisk in the Leeds corporate finance community despite the increasing globalisation of deals and a dwindling number of publicly-quoted companies in the region. Fees generated by Leeds-based firms have trebled in the past five years, with corporate financiers earning more than 70m last year in deals worth 8bn. Shunned city is going places Hull has an appealing modesty. It is a rare characteristic among northern cities.