A leading business figure has questioned whether effective decisions can be taken to plan transport and secure inward investment following the abolition of the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs).

Speaking on Wednesday at the Local Government Association's national conference in Birmingham, CBI director-general John Cridland praised the strong start made by some of the RDA's replacement bodies, local enterprise partnerships, which he said are seen as less remote and are better able to reflect and understand the areas they represent.