West’s Growth Strategy taken to government
This week, the Mayor of the West of England has taken the region’s plan for 72,000 new jobs to government – making the case for investment in the West’s future.
On Tuesday, at Labour Party conference, regional and national business leaders came together at a reception proudly hosted by the Futures West Foundation to highlight exciting opportunities for economic growth in our region.
While in Liverpool, Mayor Helen Godwin shared the new regional Growth Strategy with national investors and Cabinet Ministers including the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves; Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, Darren Jones; Secretary of State for Housing, Communities, and Local Government, Steve Reed; and Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander.
In less than a week since the new West of England Growth Strategy was published on 24 September, we have seen:
- £40 million announced for Twerton in Bath and Hartcliffe in Bristol over the next decade
- £25 million announced to bolster world-class creative industries in the West
- The New Towns Taskforce recommend Brabazon and the West Innovation Arc as a new town
- Great Western Railway (GWR) confirmed as one of the next rail franchises to be brought back into public control
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, who also recapped the last week in a new social media video, said:
“Our message to government and investors over recent days at Labour Party conference has been simple: the West is the best place to invest.
“A united front with regional business leaders helps puts our area on a stronger footing to secure more funding, create more jobs and opportunities for local people, and deliver real change that communities can see and feel.
“In the week since we published our new Growth Strategy, the government has announced £40 million for Twerton and Hartcliffe and £25 million for our creative industries. Brabazon and the West Innovation Arc is now one step closer to becoming a new town, and GWR is coming back into public control. Together, we’ve turned the page and are writing a new chapter for the West of England.”
Minister for Devolution, Faith and Communities, Miatta Fahnbulleh, said:
“The West of England is full of potential and this Growth Strategy will let local people take back control of their futures.
“From new jobs and business opportunities, to better transport and public services, this is the meaningful change that people will really feel. Tapping into these local strengths is exactly why Mayors are vital in driving forward the national renewal we promised in our Plan for Change.”
Andrea Dell, Director of the Futures West Foundation, said:
"It’s encouraging to see national interest in the West of England grow. The case to invest in the West of England appears to be landing and we’re really pleased with the recent investment announcements we’ve seen. Futures West will continue to work closely with business and academia to deliver and promote the evidence-based insights needed to attract the right policy interventions, and public and private investment."
The reception also heard from Professor Phil Taylor, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Bath, and Andrea Dell, Director of the Futures West Foundation, on new research from the Brunel Centre, showing the strength of economic growth across the region. The academics’ paper studied how productivity in the West of England, which has seen the strongest recent growth of any region in the country (+3%, latest figures: 2023), stacks up against that of London boroughs.
Colin Skellett, YTL UK Group CEO, also spoke at yesterday’s event to celebrate moving one step closer to a new town at Brabazon and the West Innovation Arc.
As the combined authority works ever closer with our North Somerset neighbours, the Growth Strategy sets out a future bold for business. With a growing population of more than 1.2 million people and a growing economy already worth £53.7 billion, the West has delivered 21% economic growth over the last decade – a major contribution to the British economy and above the national rate.
Since 2019, the West’s economy has grown at four times the national rate. In the last decade, the region has seen the highest job growth of any region (including London) in the everyday economy (+17%), digital and tech (+52%), creative industries (+82%), and clean energy (+140%).
