THE West is the best place to invest. That’s the simple message from our exciting new regional Growth Strategy.
For me, growth isn’t just about the numbers. It’s not about growth for growth’s sake.
It is about creating new jobs, new homes, and better opportunities for local people across our region: more chances to get on, learn new skills, and people seeing and feeling a difference both in their income and in their community.
We have some strong foundations to build on, and further contribute to the UK’s economic success.
Over the last decade, here in the West, we saw 21% economic growth. That’s well above the national average and, in 2023, we outperformed every other region in the country.
We’ve had the highest job growth in the country of any region in the everyday economy, digital and tech, creative industries, and clean energy.
I’ve been particularly proud to highlight our extraordinary everyday economy, which can sometimes be taken for granted.
Not here. It’s important that we recognise and celebrate the sectors that provide almost six-in-ten jobs in the West, in construction and retail, hospitality and the visitor economy, health and education, childcare and the voluntary sector.
Without people working as hard as they do in those areas, life here simply wouldn’t be possible, for anyone.
The best is yet to come, I’m confident of that. In the next ten years, we’re aiming to create 72,000 new jobs, including in our Growth Zones in Central Bath and Bristol, around the Severn Estuary, in the Somer Valley, North Somerset Growth Gateway, and West Innovation Arc.
Our new Growth Strategy is a pitch to national government and investors to invest here. I promised to make the case for the West to government and am pleased to report a warm reception at the recent Labour Party conference, backed by regional business leaders from around our region.
I had the chance to share our plans with the Chancellor, the Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister, the Housing Secretary, and the Transport Secretary. In only the first week since our Growth Strategy was published, we saw:
• £40 million announced for Twerton in Bath and Hartcliffe in Bristol
• £25 million secured to bolster our world-class creative industries
• Brabazon and the West Innovation Arc recommended to be a new town
• GWR confirmed as one of the next rail franchises to be brought back under public control
The West is not just the best place to invest, to spend money, it’s also the best place to spend time. Thanks to our culture, our nature, and so much more besides. It’s the best place to come from, to visit, to raise a family, to choose to live, to start a business.
As we write this new chapter for our region, this new Growth Strategy lights the way to a brighter future for us all. It’s time for us to build that, together.
Please do continue to stay in touch and up to date, including on social media – just search for Mayor Helen Godwin on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and TikTok, or the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority on other channels like LinkedIn.