Unlocking the potential of the West of England

The West of England bid for CityRegion Forerunner status

1.1 The four unitary authorities which make up the West of England Partnership wishto bid to become one of the city region forerunners announced in the Pre-BudgetReport in November 2008. The four authorities are Bath and North East SomersetCouncil, Bristol City Council, North Somerset Council and South GloucestershireCouncil. These authorities have a strong track record of joint working through theWest of England Partnership which also includes a range of social, economic andenvironmental partners.

1.2 This document is accompanied by a detailed “Evidence File” which demonstratesthe ways in which we meet the six criteria set by government for potential bidders.There are also three annexes:

Annex 1: The Constitution of the West of England Partnership

Annex2: Regional Funding Advice 2 - West of England Partnership Submission

Annex 3: West of England Multi-Area Agreement (latest draft).

Annexes 2 and 3 provide additional evidence of the opportunities and needs of thecity region and of our plans to deliver change.

We have prepared a short DVD in support of our submission. This can be viewed at:http://www.vistec.org/pilotregion/video.html

1. Introduction

2.1 This part of the bid gives some context tothe bid by describing the West of Englandas a city region.

2.2 The West of England is a city region in theSouth West region. Map 1 shows itslocation and boundaries. It is made up ofthe four unitary authorities of Bath andNorth East Somerset Council, Bristol CityCouncil, North Somerset Council andSouth Gloucestershire Council. Its totalpopulation is 1.05 million whichrepresents 20% of the regional total. It is afunctional economic area with a coherenteconomic geography (see the EvidenceFile). At its heart is the city of Bristol whichis the largest city in the South West andone of the eight English “Core Cities”. Thecity region also includes Bath, another ofthe world's great cities and a WorldHeritage site; and Weston-Super-Mare,famous as a seaside resort but also animportant urban centre in its own right.

2.3 The city region has a high reputation forthe quality of life it offers with a mix ofattractive urban communities, a highquality built environment, culturalfacilities, small market towns and ruralareas. Good strategic access nationally andinternationally through extensivemotorway, rail and air connections adds toits attractiveness. Bristol InternationalAirport and the Port of Bristol are large,ambitious and fast growing.

2.4 The scale and diversity of the knowledge-based growth sectors and companiesprovides high quality jobs and levels ofprosperity, which exceed all other majorcities in England outside London. Thesesectors include: advanced engineering andaerospace, creative media and ICT,business and financial services andenvironmental technologies. Suchinvestment is attracted by the proportionof people with graduate and higher levelskills and the impact of its prestigiousuniversities, which achieve high researchand teaching assessments and spurenterprise and innovation. The planned

Bristol-Bath Science Park (SPark) on theeastern edge of the main conurbation issupported by the three largest universitiesand sponsored by SWRDA; 6000knowledge-based jobs are planned inscientific sectors such as aerospace,biotechnology and digital technologies.

2.5 High graduate retention, talented workersand affluent visitors enjoy the cultural lifeof the city region, drive the diverse creativesectors and contribute to the highestemployment rate of the English core cities.

2.6 The city region is strategically located asthe western driver for a triangle ofdynamic economic activity and long termgrowth, anchored by London in the eastand Birmingham to the north and is agateway to the South West and SouthWales. It is the engine of economic growthin the South West region, contributing25% of the regional GVA total - and to theUK economy as a whole. In a Europeancontext, while there is a significant gap tobe closed in relation to the top cities,Bristol is the highest ranked English cityoutside London in terms of GDP. Overall,the city region's economy is highlysuccessful and competitive with a GVAhigher than any major English city outsideLondon. A more detailed analysis of thecity region's economy is contained in theEvidence File and in the MAA.

2.7 The draft Regional Spatial Strategyproposes substantial growth for the cityregion including provision for some122,000 additional jobs and 117,000 newhomes. New development and substantialinvestment in transport and otherinfrastructure will be needed toaccommodate this growth and addressalready high levels of congestion that areadversely affecting business operation.

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2. The West of England

2.8 Despite our success, we also have many ofthe problems which beset the UKeconomy, For example, 39 areas in Bristolare amongst the 10% most deprived inEngland (4 are in the worst 1%) along witha number of areas in Weston-super-Mare.The population of these areas representsmore than 40% of the total South Westpopulation living in areas of deprivation

2.9 Through the opportunities that growthprovides, the city region is committed tobuilding more mixed and sustainablecommunities to achieve the physical andsocial regeneration of disadvantagedurban communities and meet the overallobjectives of the city region includingmeeting housing need and providing forincreases in job numbers.

2.10 Early and co-ordinated investment inimproved strategic and local access, andproviding for economic, social andenvironmental infrastructure, is key tosustaining economic competitiveness andto building more sustainable communitieswith homes of mixed types and tenure,well-designed with good local facilitiesand jobs. Investment is key to the physicaland social regeneration of disadvantagedcommunities in Bristol and Weston-super-Mare. Improved opportunities to gain theskills and access essential to securingemployment is equally important to theneeds of the individuals in thesecommunities and to support the cityregion’s future high levels of projectedgrowth.

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Map 1 - The West of England

2.11 In the short term, however, the localeconomy is vulnerable largely because ofthe size of its financial services sector. Inthe longer term, its strength and diversitymake it well placed to lead the South Westregion into recovery and a return togrowth, and contribute significantly to therevival of the national economy. Inparticular, the city region has significantclusters of businesses in sectors which arenationally predicted to lead the return togrowth. The main examples areenvironmental technologies, creativeindustries, biomedical technologies,computing and silicon chip technologies.

2.12 The private and public sectors in the cityregion are doing much to strengthen theeconomy and help it to take advantage ofthe real market potential andopportunities available. However, thiswork could be accelerated to theadvantage of the sub regional, regionaland national economy if infrastructureinvestment could be co-ordinated, phasedand commissioned at the city region leveland there was more strategic andorganisational coherence to the publicsector's role. For this to happen, it needsthe co-operation of central governmentand it is developing a set of asks which arebeing articulated through both an MAAand through this bid to become one of thecity region forerunners.

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3.1 The West of England Partnership was setup in 2005 and covers the former Avonarea, also known as the sub-region or thecity region.  It brings the four unitarycouncils together with partners to tacklethe opportunities and challenges thatprosperity for the area as a whole bringswith it. It has been operating as avoluntary partnership for nearly five years,but in the last year has accelerateddelivery, pooling of resources, and strongaccountability

3.2 The Partnership comprises the Leaders ofCouncil and eight other Councillors, cross-party, drawn from the four UnitaryCouncils in the city region. Seven social,economic and environmental partnersdrawn from the business, highereducation, health, voluntary andcommunity, environmental and socialsectors complete the Board along withsenior representatives from the HCA,SWRDA, South West Councils and GOSW.Neighbouring upper tier authorities arealso observers at the Board.

3.3 The wider partnership comprises frequentmeetings of Leaders of Council and social,economic and environmental partners,Joint Executive Committees, Boards, theEmployment and Skills Board and a JointScrutiny Committee comprising 12councillors. There are joint decisionmaking powers in the fields of transportand waste - the Evidence File and Annex 1give further details.

3.4 Each of these bodies is complemented bythe contribution of appropriategovernment agencies, strategic partnerorganisations and a range of specialinterest and voluntary organisations.

3.5 Councillors sit on the Partnership Board,Joint Committees, Boards and on thetheme groups. Apart from the JointCommittees these also involve partners.

3.6 A jointly-resourced Partnership Officesupports the work of the Partnership andprogresses the joint work, eg in relation totransport, inward investment, waste andother aspects of the growth agenda. Bathand North East Somerset Council acts asthe accountable body for the Partnership,and employs the Partnership staff.  Othercouncils are the accountable bodies forspecific projects.

3.7 The Partnership is clear on its remit andthe separation of functions from the localauthorities. In general, this means that itworks at a strategic level setting strategiesand plans, with delivery carried out by thefour councils or other appropriate bodies.The exceptions are the West of EnglandInward Investment Team and the GreaterBristol Bus Network which are deliveredthrough the Partnership Office.

3.8 The Partnership is investigating a JointDelivery Vehicle to allow jointcommissioning and procurement onprojects that cross local authorityboundaries. Legal advice on this issue hasbeen received and work is continuing onthe most appropriate model. This may notbe required if the city region winsforerunner status.

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3. The West of England Partnership

4.1 Our case to become one of the city regionforerunners is that

• we meet the six criteria - the EvidenceFile sets out the evidence for this

• we make a significant contribution tothe economy of the South West - we arethe engine of economic growth in theregion, contributing 25% of the regionalGVA total - and to the UK economy as awhole

• we have a highly successful andcompetitive economy - our GVA is thehighest of any major English cityoutside London and, aside from London,we are the only English city region inthe European top 40 in terms of GDP

• we are a rapidly growing area, a CLGGrowth Point with current proposals totake around 20% of regional growthover the next 20 years equivalent toaround 120,000 more jobs and 117,000new homes

• despite our success, we also have manyof the problems which beset the UKeconomy including significant levels ofdeprivation. In the short term, the localeconomy is vulnerable largely becauseof the size of its financial services sector

• but we also have some important andunique strengths which will help pullthe South West and UK out of recessionand help build a more robust economypost recession. These include:

- 4 top class universities with researchand teaching capabilities that reflectthe city region's economic strengthsin science, high technology andcreative industries

- a highly skilled workforce - Bristol,for example, has the highest % ofgraduates in its workforce (36.5%) ofall the core cities - and a very highgraduate retention rate

- a diverse economy in which a widerange of industries is represented

with about 59 different sectorsemploying over 1,000 persons

- the sub region is a significant centrefor new, growing industries includingcreative industries andenvironmental technologies

• we have a relatively simple localgovernment structure - no two tierissues - just 4 unitary authorities (and arange of social and economic partners)committed to working closely together

• we have a well developed city regionpartnership with joint decision makingpowers in the fields of transport andwaste and dedicated staff resourcesand a track record in moving theeconomy forward

• the private and public sectors in the cityregion are doing much to strengthenthe economy and help it to takeadvantage of the real market potentialand opportunities available. However,this work could be accelerated to theadvantage of the city region, regionaland national economy if infrastructuredevelopment could be accelerated andthere was more strategic andorganisational coherence to the publicsector's role.

• so, with a bit of help from governmentand some more freedoms and powers -see our asks below - we can make asignificant contribution to pulling theregional and UK economy fromrecession and provide some valuablelessons, experience and best practicefor other city regions

• we support the case being made in thesubmission from the Birmingham,Coventry and Black Country City Regionthat the forerunner initiative provides amajor opportunity to make progresstowards PSAs 1 and 7 through abalanced geographical coverage ofeconomically significant pilots in theNorth, Midlands and South West.

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4. Our Case

5.1 Central to our city region proposal is thatwe join up the Government's agendalocally by asking for devolved powers andun-ring fenced budgets from GovernmentAgencies to enable local prioritisation ofresources to deliver in accordance with anagreed delivery plan. It is envisaged thatthe West of England Partnership willexplore the potential for an EconomicProsperity Board (EPB) to help drivedelivery, subject to Governmentclarification on the role and scope of anEPB and the safeguarding of localdemocratic accountability.

Our proposal will pilot this approachwithin a polycentric city region that isstrategically positioned in relation to thewider south west region and the triangleof economic growth potential anchored byLondon, Birmingham and Bristol.

5.2 These asks - and our submission as awhole - need to be read in conjunctionwith our RFA 2 bid to the region and withour emerging MAA, both of which areattached as annexes to this bid

5.3. Our asks of government and the cityregion commitments/outcomes are setout in the table below:

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5. Our Asks

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