Businesses and other organisations with an interest in South Wales and Western England are asked to support continued cross border working through taking part in a new consultation on the future of Pan-Regional Partnerships.
Launched two weeks ago, the UK Government have begun a “Consultation on ending Pan-Regional Partnership core funding” on their website following an announcement in the budget. This gives an opportunity for local authorities, businesses and other organisations to have their say on how partnerships, like the Western Gateway, have benefitted their area and work ahead of UK Government making a decision on whether to withdraw core-funding in March 2025.
Stretching across South Wales and Western England, the Western Gateway unites an area that Oxford Economics predict should be the fastest growing economy outside of London over the next five years. As the only organisation to span this national border, local authorities and businesses are raising their concerns to Government about the likely lost momentum for growth that could stem from withdrawing their funding at short notice and without anything else in place.
The Consultation closes at 12pm on 16th December 2024. For advice on answering the consultation and support from the Western Gateway team please email secretariat@western-gateway.co.uk.
Through the Western Gateway, 28 local authorities alongside businesses and universities have been working together to deliver on our area’s shared potential to become the fastest growing economy outside of London.
Sarah Williams-Gardener, Chair of the Western Gateway Partnership
“Over the course of three regional conventions, including the most recent last month, we have brought together over 1500 of the area’s biggest decision makers from business, industry, academia and government at the ICC Wales in Newport. Most recently we launched our “Plan for Sustainable Growth” showing how we can overcome historic barriers to double the size of our economy by 2050.
“With 100,000 car journeys a day across the M4 bridge, the Western Gateway is unique in representing a naturally occurring economic geography with businesses looking to work together across a national border. This economy exists now and without forums like the Western Gateway enabling decision making across this geography, you’d have to create something new to replace it.
“In order to compete on the global stage, our geography is coming together at scale to deliver those large-scale opportunities we have begun to attract. With the support of our local leaders, we are asking Governments in England and Wales to act now to preserve this unique cross border partnership and continue to support cross border working that will be essential for delivering our national mission for growth.”
Already the Western Gateway has attracted over £100m investment from the public and private sector making the area a world leader in developing low carbon energy, launched an independent commission to explore tidal energy in the Severn and lead a cross-border plan for improving cross border rail travel for the area amongst many other achievements.
So far this work has been supported by UK Government investing £1million a year to underwrite day to day costs with this helping to leverage in over £2million from business and other organisations helping to fund specific work programmes.
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